The Seventh Word
by EarthandNadia
Summary: When we walk in silence it means a thousand words. She didn't utter but a few words, but she could only hope that he'd get a clue. That he could one day see the reason behind her silence, change it, and morph it into something new. First in the Silent Star Series.
1. Tooth and Claw: Scotland, 1879

Hello, for those of you who had been reading along to Sleeping Beauty, my previous, now deleted, Doctor Who story I apologize for the inconvenience. I realized that Alessa was straying away from what I originally wanted her to be like, which affected the whole story, so I decided to just delete it….

I don't know if anyone had seen the update that I posted on the last chapter for Sleeping Beauty before it was taken down, but I was saying that I cannot update every single day. I've wanted to for a while now, but with school starting up, and the program that I'm in, I just can't do it. So I'm going to update every two days.

Don't worry, I won't delete this story too, just in case anyone was wondering. I try not to delete anything that I make, but there are times when I feel like I have to, you know?

This story will also have a different OC, whose name is NOT Alessa. It's basically just a better version of how I wanted to portray her.

S.S – this means a scene break because it stands for Silent Star, which is the name of this series.

* * *

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Tooth and Claw

Chapter 1: Scotland, 1879

* * *

The Doctor stood near the TARDIS console holding what appeared to be an audio CD in his hands as Rose finished zipping up her bag, shoving it to side before walking over to him, showing off her current outfit, "What do you think of this?" she asked, making him look at her, "Will it do?"

"In the late 1970s?" he shook his head, "You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on," he inserted the CD in the audio player, "Listen to this."

Suddenly the TARDIS was filled with music as 'Hit me with your Rhythm Stick' blasted out of the device, "Ian Dury and the Blockheads," he smiled, making random movements to match the rhythm of the song, "Number One in 1979."

Rose laughed, "You're a Punk!"

"It's good to be a lunatic…" he sang, making her laugh even more.

"That's what you are," she nodded, grinning, "A bit old Punk with a bit of Rockabilly thrown in."

"Would you like to see him?" he asked curiously. It would be a nice getaway from all the normal, exciting, things they did. No running, no jumping, no monsters, no saving anyone, nada.

Rose gaped at him, "How'd you mean?" she asked, "In concert?"

He smiled, "What else is a TARDIS for?" they both began to do a little funky dance around the console in their excitement, "I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar…the first anti-gravity Olympics….Caesar crossing the Rubicon…or…Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979," he turned to look at her, "What do you think?"

"Sheffield it is!" Rose nodded. It was the perfect getaway from all the running, jumping, chasing monsters, monsters chasing them, and having to save the Earth for the billionth time. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy doing all of that but a break every now and again was something she could get used to, especially so since it gave her and the Doctor more time to by themselves with no distractions what-so-ever.

"Hold on tight," the Doctor smiled before pulling the lever, lurching forwards as the TARDIS jolted. He reached over to pull out a hammer, whacking the console to the beat of the music, yelling to his hearts' content.

Rose just laughed at him, "Stop!" she cried just as the movement stopped, sending them both to the floor, laughing their heads off.

The Doctor stood, "1979," he stated, "Hell of a year!" he held out his hand for Rose to take before pulling her to her feet. They both ran over to the door, excited, "China invades Vietnam…The Muppet Movie! Love that film. Margaret Thatcher…urgh…Skylab falls to Earth….with a little help from me….nearly took off my thumb," he opened the door and stepped out, Rose following him, "I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to…" he trailed as he looked around, noticing that they for one WEREN'T in 1979, and they were currently surrounded by soldier at arms. He and Rose put their hands up in surrender, "….my thumb."

The soldiers clicked their guns.

"1879," he spoke, "Same difference."

A man walked up to them who, judging by his attire, was the leader of the bunch, "You will explain your presence," he spoke, "And the nakedness of this girl," he nodded towards Rose, who looked down at herself at that. She frowned, confused.

"Are we in Scotland?" the Doctor asked, a smile beginning to spread across his face as he took on a Scottish accent.

"How can you be ignorant of that?" the Captain asked.

"Oh, I'm…I'm dazed and confused," he said, "I've been chasing this…this wee naked child over hill and over dale. In't that right, ya…timorous beastie?" he looked at Rose, silently telling her to play along.

"Ooch, aye!" Rose said with a terrible attempt at speaking in a Scottish accent, which made the Doctor wince, "I've been oot and aboot."

"No," he grimaced, "Don't do that."

"Hoots mon!" she looked at him.

"No, really don't," he frowned, "Really."

"Will you identify yourself, sir?" the Captain asked, getting back to the main topic at hand.

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon. From the…Township of Balamory. Eh….I have my credentials, if I may…." he looked down at his pockets and the Captain nodded. He and Rose lowered their hands as he fumbled in his pocket, pulling out the psychic paper, holding it up for them to see, "As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself."

"Let them approach," a feminine voice called from the carriage.

"I don't think that's wise, ma'am," the Captain said. He was still weary of the duo and it seemed strange they were all the way out here, in the middle of nowhere, especially since one claimed to be a doctor.

"Let them approach."

The Doctor gestured towards the carriage and the Captain nodded, begrudgingly, before letting them through, "You will approach the carriage. And show all due deference," he ordered.

The Doctor saluted him, and he and Rose approached the carriage. One of the footmen moved forwards to open the door to reveal Queen Victoria, "Rose…might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith," he said gingerly with a small smile. It wasn't every day that you got to meet the Queen, even if he was a Time Lord, it was still a little rare.

"Rose Tyler, Ma'am," Rose introduced with a quick curtsey, "And my apologies…for being so naked," she gave a small nervous laugh.

The Queen eyed her, shrugging it off, "I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor…." she turned her attention to him, "Show me these credentials," she took the paper out of his hands as he handed it over to her, studying it for a moment, "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector."

"Does it?" the Doctor asked, a surprised hint in his voice, "Yes, it does! Good! Good! Um…then let me ask…why is your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"

"A tree on the line," she simply answered, as if it weren't a huge deal.

"An accident?" he pressed.

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland," she stated, "Everything around me tends to be planned."

"An assassination attempt?"

"What, seriously?" Rose looked at the Queen, wide-eyed, "There's people out to kill ya?"

Queen Victoria turned to look forwards, "I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," she simply said.

"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence," the Captain said from atop of his horse behind them, "We'll send word ahead, he'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."

"This Doctor and his….timorous beastie will come with us," the Queen ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am," he nodded, "We'd better get moving….it's almost nightfall."

"Indeed," she said, "And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!" the footman closed the door to the carriage as it moved on ahead, the Doctor and Rose behind it.

"It's funny though," Rose said, "'Cos you say 'assassination' and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her."

"1879…she's had….oo…six attempts on her life?" the Doctor informed, "And I'll tell you something else…." he grinned, "We just met Queen Victoria!"

"I know!" she grinned excitedly.

"What a laugh!"

"She was just sitting there!"

He nodded, "Like a stamp."

"I want her to say," she dropped her voice to an uppert-y class accent, "'We are not amused'" back to normal, "I bet you five quid I can make her say it."

"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of travelling in time," he said.

"….Ten quid?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Done."

S.S

Night had fallen when they arrived at the manor. The carriage came to a full stop and one of the footmen opened the door and helped the Queen down. Two men, Sir Robert, and Father Angelo emerged from the house over to them.

"Your majesty," one of them greeted, bowing.

"Sir Robert," the Queen spoke, "My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?"

"She's….indisposed," he said, "'I'm afraid….she's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her…the kitchens are barely stocked…I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on."

The Doctor eyed the man curiously. From the way he spoke it would seem that he _wanted_ the Queen to stay away. But why would that be?

"Oh, not at all!" the Queen shook her head, oblivious to his vague warning, "I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is…charming. If rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside?" she took no notice to Sir Robert's reluctant expression, "And please excuse the naked girl."

"Sorry," Rose smiled sheepishly.

"She's a feral child," the Doctor explained, "I bought her for sixpence in old London Town. It was her or the Elephant Man, so…"

"Thinks he funny," she retorted, "But I'm so not amused," she looked at the Queen pointedly, "What do you think, Ma'am?"

"It hardly matters," the Queen stated, "Shall we proceed?"

Sir Robert nodded before leading them into the house. Rose frowned once the Queen's back was turned, "So close," she muttered to the Doctor.

"Makerson and Ramsey, you will escort the Property," the Captain commanded, "Hurry up."

"Yes, sir," Makerson nodded.

"Yes, sir," Ramsey said taking up a small wooden box from the carriage, carrying it with care into the house.

"What's in there, then?" the Doctor asked interestedly, glancing at the item.

"Property of the Crown," the Captain simply said, "You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir," he turned and the Doctor pulled a face to Rose, who chuckled under her breath, "The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions

"You heard the orders," a soldier said, walking up to the Doctor, "Positions, sir."

He nodded before he and Rose followed the others into the house, not noticing their fear-stricken audience.

S.S

Sir Robert walked into what appeared to be an Observatory, followed by the Queen, Rose, the Doctor, and Father Angelo, plus two other household staff. They heard some paper ruffling and looked towards the side to see a young woman sitting in a chair, looking over a book.

"Ah," Sir Robert turned towards her, "Miss Kerrigan, up to your studies again?"

The woman looked up, seeing them standing there, and nodded. Her eyes then landed on the Doctor before they widened a bit. She stood to her feet and in a hurried-fashion walked towards the door, but not before stopping in front of the Queen, giving her a deserved curtsy before leaving.

"She's a quiet gal, in't she?" the Doctor questioned, looking at the door she left through. She didn't seem too hurried before they arrived and he noticed her eyes flashed when they landed on him, like she was afraid. But he'd never seen her before in his life, he was sure of that.

"Yes, she's a…special guest in the Torchwood Manor," Sir Robert nodded, knocking him out of his thoughts, "We know she's not mute, but she just won't say much."

"I believe it to be discourteous to not speak in the presence of other people," the Queen spoke, making them look at her, "expressly amongst the new," she looked at Sir Robert, "Tell us, Sir Robert, a little about this room here."

He nodded, "Yes," he said, "All of my father's work. Build by hand in his final years. Because something of an obsession…he spent his money on this," he gestured around him, "than caring for the house or himself."

The Doctor smiled, "I wish I'd met him, I like him," he said, "That thing's beautiful….can I um…?" he pointed at the contraption.

"Help yourself," Sir Robert nodded.

He and Rose moved forwards to examine the telescope and the wheel lying next to it, expressions of awe crossing their features, "What did he model it on?" the Doctor asked.

"I know nothing about it," he stated, "Laila might know a little more about it than I, she's been reading on some of my father's notes. To be honest, most of us thought him to be a little…shall we say, eccentric."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "Laila," he tested the name on his tongue, "Would that be the woman…?"

"Yes, she's rather intelligent," he nodded, "She has her own notes based on his research, nothing like I've ever seen," he wandered over to a nearby table where a pile of books and papers lied, "I believe she keeps her notes over here, if you would like to see them, you may."

The Doctor walked over to the table, seeing a few papers with feminine handwriting and picked them up, looking over them, "Oh," his eyes widened and a small smile graced his face, "This is good. I think I'd like to get to know this Laila."

Sir Robert looked at him, "That may be more difficult than you'd expect, she's rather…secluded," he stated, "She's only a bit expressive around my wife and I, we found her lying in a field unconscious. She came to only five minutes later and she cried…"

"She cried?" Rose questioned from her spot.

He nodded, "Yes, it was the strangest thing, but they seemed to be mixed of sadness and gladness," he continued, "It took nearly three months for us to get her to speak to any one of us. She doesn't sleep much and you can hear her in the room we supplied for her in the middle of the night. She's quite the idealist," he chuckled, "You should see the various thing's she has drawn, it's a bit ridiculous," he frowned, "Though the wife and I are worried 'bout her,

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "Why's that then?" he asked.

"It's not just the things she sketches, but when she does sleep…it's for hours on end," he stated.

"I thought you said she doesn't sleep much," Rose said.

"She doesn't, she only actually rests two to three times a month," he stated, "It's amazing how she's still standing," he shook his head.

"I believe that's enough chit-chat, thank you," the Queen spoke, ending the conversation.

The Doctor stood in his one spot, his eyes wide in recognition, in _realization_, and he turned to Sir Robert, "Would you mind if I paid a visit to…Ms. Kerrigan, was it?" he asked, making Rose frown. He couldn't be right, no, it was _impossible_. But yet something inside him told him to go find out the truth of the matter. If he went by what Sir Robert was saying then…then….well, he didn't know what he'd do….

"Yes," he nodded before turning towards the Queen, "Would that be alright with you, your Majesty?"

"Not at this time," she said, "You can wait until we retired to our appointed rooms for repair, you may go deal with the situation. As for now, you're my protector, and this is where you shall stay."

The Doctor nodded in a bit of a reluctant acceptance. He turned towards the telescope, to get his mind off the subject, "You know," he gazed over the device, "It's a bit rubbish."

Rose looked away from him, grinning.

"How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top, that's stupid kind of a…" he trailed, turning to Rose, "Am I being rude again?"

"Yep," she nodded, smiling.

"But it's pretty!" he backtracked, "It's very….pretty,

Rose patted him fondly on the arm, shaking her head slightly at him.

"And the imagination of it should be applauded," the Queen remarked.

"Mm! Thought you might disapprove, your Majesty," she turned towards the woman, "Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful?"

The Queen stared blankly at her.

"You could easily…." she continued, "not be amused or something….? No?"

"This device surveys the infinite work of God," the Queen said, ignoring her comment, "What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath. Steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales."

"Stars and magic," the Doctor smiled, "I like him more and more," he circled around the telescope, examining it more closely.

"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company," she looked at Rose, "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg."

The Doctor leaned over to Rose, seeing her slightly confused expression, "That's Bavaria," he whispered in her ear.

The Queen turned to Sir Robert, "When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported."

"So, what's this wolf, then?" the Doctor asked curiously, it was true, he was curious, but all the while he just wanted everything to speed up. He _had_ to find Laila.

"It's just a story," Sir Robert said.

"Then tell it," he nodded.

Sir Robert looked around at Father Angelo, obviously uncomfortable with the topic, "It's said that…"

"Excuse me, sir," Father Angelo interrupted, "Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms and this Doctor here to Ms. Kerrigan's room. It's almost dark."

He nodded, "Of course," he said, "Yes, of course."

"And then supper," the Queen said, "And….could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness."

"It's not amusing, is it?" Rose commented.

The Queen glanced around at her, deciding to ignore the comment once more, before turning to Sir Robert, "Sir Robert, your wife must've left you some clothes," she said, "See to it. We shall dine at seven," she turned to the Doctor, "You may head on out to Ms. Kerrigan's room, but I expect to see you at the table by seven. We'll have more talk of this wolf," she turned back to Sir Robert, "After all…there is a full moon tonight."

"So there is, Ma'am," Sir Robert nodded tensely before bowing, following her out the room.

The Doctor turned to Rose, "I will see you at supper," he said, "I want to have a little chat with the special guest of this house."

Rose turned to look at him, "What's so important 'bout her?" she asked, "Seems normal to me, except for the whole sleeping thing."

"Yeah, she does," he nodded before walking out the door, leaving Rose standing there with a small frown on her face before shaking her head. If she had learned one thing from travelling with the Doctor, it was to NEVER try and figure out what he's doing and why he's doing it, things just end up getting complicated.

S.S

And there we go, first chapter complete. I know it's obvious what Laila is, and I wanted it to be that way, but that's not one of the main secrets in this story. I could've made it that, but I've seen too many stories where the Time Lady is hidden, blah, blah, blah….I wanted to go a different route.

In the next chapter you'll see the confrontation between the Doctor and Laila, but it's not going to be how you expect it to be ;)


	2. Tooth and Claw: Confrontations

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Tooth and Claw

Chapter 2: Confrontations

* * *

The Doctor walked through the halls of the Torchwood manor, looking around him for Laia's room. Sir Robert had mentioned that she had a sign posted on her door and then he went on to say that it would be a little difficult to get access to her quarters, for she was a very private young lady.

Looking ahead, he saw a door at the far end of the corridor, a door piece attached to it. He briskly walked over to it and stood in front of it, silently anticipating what was about to occur. It would seem strange if he were to just barge in there and accuse her of something that she's not, so he decided to play it at a medium, be not so obvious in his questioning.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the door open, Laia standing there, staring at him until he felt a tug at his sleeve. He looked over to see her there, he stared at her for a moment before clearing his throat, "Ah, um…hello," he greeted, "I saw you earlier in the Observatory and uh, Sir Robert happened to let me look over some of your notes. And um…they're quite good," she just stared at him, "Erm, could we talk for a quick moment?"

She just continued to stare at him, which he had to admit made him feel a little embarrassed for some reason. Then, finally, she stepped to the side, allowing him access into the room. He walked through the doorway, halting upon seeing what lied before him. There were various pictures up on the walls, some of which were way out of a natural born 1800s child, thing's he'd never seen before, things that wouldn't be around for _centuries_.

He whipped around to face her, "So, is it true then?" he asked, "Are you a….? Or maybe you're just from the…?"

She gave him a small smile before walking over to her bed and bent down to reach under it, pulling out a box. She looked down at it for a minute before handing it over to him, gesturing towards the sofa on the wall for him to sit. He moved over to it and plopped down as she stared silently at him from her bed. He looked down at the box and slowly lifted the lid. A small gasp escaped his lips as he looked over the contents.

"No," he shook his head, a smile starting to cross his features, "This is great!" he laughed a bit, "No, no…this is brilliant!" he placed the top back on the box, sitting it the side before looking up at Laia, "Why…why would you hide? What are you doing here?"

She shot him a look, one that said 'You already know the answer to that.' He nodded, remembering what Sir Robert had told them, how he and his wife had found her lying in a field. But what was she doing in that field?

"Why were you…?"

She stood and moved beside him, picking up the box and took off its lid. She rummaged through the pile of files and pictures before she came to a stop, holding up one in particular. It wasn't in perfect shape, but he could still see that there were four figures, one of which had to be her, and behind them was a ship of some sort. She pointed to the ship.

"You were on the ship," he nodded, "It crashed to Earth…I see…."

She automatically shook her head, making him raise an eyebrow as she stopped and stared at him again before nodded, telling him he was correct. Most of the house workers, Sir Robert, and his wife, couldn't understand a word she wasn't trying to say. Now this mysterious man was here and he understood right off the bat. Interesting...

"You're not mute are you?" he asked, "He said you hardly ever spoke," he frowned, "Are you afraid of me? You looked frightened when you looked at me, but we've never even met…though I suppose it's understandable, given what I've done."

He felt her hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at her to see her smiling a little at him, shaking her head, "I…I'm not afraid of you," she said softly, shocking him, "I'm afraid _for_ you, Doctor."

He frowned, "What do you mean…wait, how do you know who I am?" he asked.

She pointed to her ear, telling him that she was listening all the while. He found himself wishing that she'd said it instead of gesturing about it. Her voice is was soft, melodic-sounding, like a song. He shook his head, killing that thought. What was _that_? He'd just _met_ the woman and here he was thinking about her like that!

He quickly stood to his feet, knowing that she was watching him, and he cleared his throat, "Yes, right," he nodded, "I knew that," she raised an eyebrow, silently questioning that claim, "So, what did you mean by that? That you're afraid for me?"

She looked down, "B…before the war, I was g…given the order to create a couple of d…devices," she said quietly, almost so that he had to move closer to hear her.

He raised an eyebrow, "What devices?"

"Devices that could….end a whole civilization, j…just one being….a multitude of people….and so on," she swallowed thickly and the Doctor could see her eyes beginning to glisten, "T…they were to be used on the D…Daleks, but…." she looked at him, "T…the order was for them to be used…to be used on you, to stop you," she sniffed, "I…I'm sorry, I'm so, _so_, sorry. I...I d..didn't k-know t...they would d-do that."

He reached over her, to comfort her but she scooted away from him.

His hand stayed raised in the air before he lowered it, placing it back on his side, "So," he cleared his throat, "….what happened?"

"I….stopped them," she stated, "P…please," she looked at him, begging him with her eyes, "Don't ask me how…I can't explain it r…right now."

He nodded, "What about your family?" he asked, changing the subject, "Why didn't you save them?"

"I have no family…." she mumbled.

"But…." What about the pictures he saw?

"I said, I _have_ no family…." she gritted out, telling him he'd hit a sore spot.

His eyes widened a bit, "Sorry…."

She looked up at him before she nodded at the door, silently telling him to leave her be. He stared at her for a minute, something in him telling him to stay, to comfort her. He turned and walked towards the door, but not before throwing one quick glance back at her, seeing her wipe her face before he closed the door.

S.S

Rose looked around the room, noticing a few wardrobes in the room. She wandered over to one and opened the door to see a multitude of fabrics. She ran her hand through a couple, stopping on a brown dress and pulled it out, testing it on herself in the mirror. Almost immediately she put it back. She rummaged through the clothes again, pulling out a frilly blouse. She took one look at it and started to laugh before putting it back in the closet.

After a minute of going through the items, she picked out a pretty blue dress. She held it up to herself and gave a little twirl before she placed it on the bed. She walked over to another wardrobe and opened the door.

She screamed.

She stared at the figure inside, a young maid, crouched down on the bottom, breathing a little heavily.

S.S

Rose and the maid, who she learned name was Flora, were sitting on the bed as Flora told her the story, "They came through the house," she said, "The incitements, they took the Steward and the Master. And my Lady," she frowned, "Ms. Kerrigan was around at the time, but they only knocked her unconscious, they didn't take her…."

"Listen," Rose said, "I've got a friend, he's called the Doctor…he'll know what to do. You've gotta come with me."

"Oh, but I can't, Miss."

"Flora, we'll be safe," she told her comfortingly, "There's more people arrived downstairs….soldiers and everything, and they can help us. I promise. Come on. Okay? Come on," she stood and walked over to the door and opened it. She peered around the area, seeing the coast was clear, took Flora's hand and walked out. They turned a corner and gasped, seeing two unconscious guards.

"Oh, Miss," Flora cried, "I did warn you!"

Rose carefully kneeled down in front of one of the guards and checked his pulses, "He's not dead," she clarified, "I don't think….he must be drugged or something."

Flora opened her mouth to respond when she was grabbed behind, she stifled a scream, making Rose turned around. But before she could react, she too was grabbed and pulled away. She looked on as Father Angelo walked past them towards the dining room.

S.S

The Doctor was seated in the dining room, his thoughts on things other than the story Sir Robert was about to tell, more specifically on Laia. He didn't want to believe that the high council would order such a thing upon himself, but he did believe it. Though he couldn't help but smile, because if they did make her make such weapons, she must be brilliant. He liked brilliant things, they were just…brilliant.

Then his mind went to another area, her family. It was obvious she did have a family, but was reluctant to claim them as so. He couldn't help but wonder why, and why he felt _so_ bad for bringing it up. Of course he felt bad whenever someone brought up his family, or their home planet, but it was almost worse. He wanted nothing more than to kick himself when he saw her broken expression. But then again the question was why? Why did he want to do that?

He shook his head, knocking himself from his thoughts when he heard footsteps approach him. He turned his head to see the object of his thoughts standing there. But that wasn't what grabbed his attention, no, it was what she was wearing. A white mull-ish evening gown with a silk-y satin for the bodice decorated with a floral motif embroidered with jeweled beetle elytra and golden thread, along with a matching thread. She was currently wearing her hair down in light curls.

He stood once he realized he was staring and gestured towards the seat. She shook her head, which confused him, before she turned her head towards the door just as Father Angelo walked in, looking at Laila before turning to him.

"Your companion begs an apology," he told him, "Her clothing had somewhat delayed her."

The Doctor nodded before quickly glancing at Laila who turned her head to look at him, her eyes conveying a message, "Oh," he nodded, looking back at Father Angelo, "That's all right. Save her a wee bit of ham."

"The feral child could probably eat it raw," the Queen commented from her spot before she looked at Laila, "So, Ms. Kerrigan, Sir Robert here tells us you're a bit of a dreamer."

The Doctor looked at Laila to see her staring at a spot behind the Queen before her eyes snapped to the woman, "Yes," she said quietly.

"Speak up, it's impolite when you speak and no-one can hear you," she told her, oblivious to when the woman winced, "Now, let's try this again."

"Yes, I am," Laila said more loudly, "Sorry," she looked at Sir Robert, "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the loo," she turned and walked around the table and out the door. The Doctor stared after her for a minute in concern. She was shaking, he'd noted.

From that he was able to piece two and two together. It was quite obvious, to him, that she'd suffered through some kind of abuse, more verbal that physical, or maybe a combination. It didn't matter because that was _wrong_. He knew, of course, that not all families on Gallifrey were perfect or at least decent. He felt his hearts constrict at the thought of her being a victim of that.

Hopefully he was just over-thinking things and _was_ wrong.

"Alright," he turned to Sir Robert, smiling now, "Come, Sir! You promised us a tale of nightmares."

"Indeed," the Queen nodded, Laila's departure seemingly un-affecting her, "Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for supernatural fiction."

He looked at her, "You must miss him," he said.

"Very much," she looked back at him, sorrow crossing her features, "Oh, completely. And that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it? Not the scared and chills, that's just for children, but the…hope of some contact with the great beyond."

The Doctor stared at her intensely.

"We all want some message from that place….it's the Creator's greatest mystery that we are allowed such consolation. The dead stay silent. And we must wait," she continued, shrugging herself out of that thought.

The Doctor turned and looked down. What he would give to have all his people back, though he could take comfort in the fact that one of them was alive and he could see her. He'd been alone for so long, the weight of it all just seemed to grow more and more, getting heavier and heavier with time. He thought about Laila and he briefly wondered if she'd take up the offer of joining him and Rose on their travels. It would be fun, brilliant even, to have a Time Lady onboard the TARDIS. Someone to understand him, though he did enjoy it when he got to explain things to humans, but still….

Maybe, just maybe, one day he'd be able to forget it all, though the idea seemed impossible. But maybe she could help take that weight off, she already did more than she knew by forgiving him for basically murdering their whole race. He couldn't help but wonder why though, even if the council gave the order for her to create those weapons, he didn't have to go through with it. It was HIS actions, so why was she so forgiving?

"Come!" the Queen spoke, knocking him from his thoughts, "Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the leaves. Tell us of monsters!"

He turned to look at the man, though his eyes landed on Laila as she wandered back into the room, moving to sit in the seat next to him. He looked at her and she at him and he gave her a small smile of comfort, telling her he understood.

She could only stare at him.

S.S

Looks like the Doctor is taking an interest in Laila, which confuses him, and probably you too. But don't you all worry, I have the explanation up my sleeve, and we'll be finding out why this is all happening at some point in this story….could be the end of this season, or the next, or maybe in the middle of it all…who knows? Well, I do, but hey. And when we do find out, the reason why I named this The Seventh Word will come to reveal itself.

Cool, cool, I got 3 reviews since I started this story. Better than nothing, right?

Guest: Thanks!

Damon's Charlene: Yeah, it wasn't that pleasant but then again it was in a way, for the Doctor that is, I mean he just found out that he didn't kill ALL of the Time Lords and that he's not the last anymore. I think that's reason for celebration, a silent one that is ;) And yep, there are a lot of episodes where you can put an OC in it.

Mionerocks: I never give up, unless I'm tired, then it has to wait until the next day


	3. Tooth and Claw: Werewolf and Girl

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Tooth and Claw

Chapter 3: Werewolf and Girl

* * *

Down in a deeper part of the Torchwood manor, Rose looked on across the room at the figure, the host, sitting in the cage. They had brought her and Flora down here and saw that the other house staff along with Sir Robert's wife, Lady Isobel, and the Steward was brought down as well.

"Don't make a sound," Isabel whispered to Rose, "They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us."

"But…." Rose shook her head, "He's in a cage. He's a prisoner. He's the same as us."

"He's _nothing_ like us," she said, her voice full of fear, "That creature is not mortal."

The host raised his head and opened his eyes to look at them to reveal nothing but darkness, no color, just black. Isobel and the house staff whimpered while Rose stared, shocked and scared.

She had seen many creatures, aliens, enemies before. The Slitheen, the Daleks, the Jagrafess, the Sycorax, and others. But she'd never seen anything like this before. It disturbed her in a way that she didn't get with all the others. Maybe it was because this one looked human while the others were alien in their looks, but whatever it was it was unsettling.

S.S

"The story goes back three hundred years," Sir Robert began, "Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning, livestock is found ripped apart and…devoured."

"Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves," the Captain remarked, "Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that."

The Queen frowned at that, her expression holding one of mild irritation. Laila looked at the man, softly shaking her head. She wasn't one to judge, but she always felt that people should learn to expect the unexpected. It was one of things she lived by, though that didn't stop her from being surprised when the Doctor showed up.

She could only assume it was because they were the last living Time Lords that she automatically knew he was another of their kind. She'd been in the Torchwood manor long. It'd be about a year and one-half in a few weeks, and it was hard going along not able to tell a soul that you were alien. Some people weren't too adapting to that, though she hoped one day they might be. She felt alone, scared even at times, and to have him arrive well it just made her happier than she'd been in the last few months.

"But sometimes a child goes missing," Sir Robert continued, bringing her out of her thoughts, "Once in a generation. A boy will vanish from his homestead."

S.S

Rose stared at the man, beast, whatever it was as she slowly stood to her feet, moving forwards. It didn't matter if it was dangerous, she'd faced many dangerous things with the Doctor before, so this was really small compared to what they'd been through, or at least that's what she told herself. It helped that it was contained in a cage, though she had a suspicion it could escape if it wanted to.

"Don't, child," Isobel warned.

She ignored the woman and edged towards the host, the chains rattling slightly behind her. When she reached her limit, she knelt before the man, "Who are you?"

"Don't enrage him," the Steward called.

"Where are you from?" she continued, "You're not from Earth. What planet are you from?"

"Ohh….intelligence…." the host said.

"Where were you born?"

"This body….ten miles away…a weakling, heartsick boy," he explained, "Stolen away at the night by the brethren from my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart."

S.S

The Doctor listened intently as Sir Robert went on about his tale, "Are there descriptions of the creature?" he asked.

"Oh yes, Doctor," Sir Robert nodded, "Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal."

He leaned forwards, intrigued, "A werewolf?"

S.S

"All right….so the body's human….but what about you?" Rose pressed, "The thing inside."

"So far from home," the host said.

"If you wanna get back home, we can help," she said. All they need to do was find the Doctor and he'd help him get back.

"Why would I leave this place?" he questioned, "A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose."

She raised an eyebrow, "How would you do that?"

"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch," he simply said making her eyes widen a little.

"You mean Queen Victoria?"

"With one bite, I would pass into her blood," he said with pleasure, "And then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf! So many questions…." he lunged forward, making the others and Rose jump and gasp, "Look! Inside your eyes! You've seen it too!"

"Seen what?" she eyed him.

"The Wolf! There is something of the Wolf about you!" he cried.

Rose stared at him, shocked, "I don't know what you mean," but she did and she was scared 'cos how did _he_ know about that?

"You burnt like the sun," he said, "but all I require is the moon."

S.S

"My father didn't treat it as a story," Sir Robert went on, "He said it was a fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast…to have learned its purpose."

Laila turned her head at that, looking at Father Angelo as he glanced out the window, seemingly staring at something outside. She continued to stare at him, not noticing the Doctor look at her before turning back to the others.

"His work was hindered," Sir Robert said quietly, "…he had made enemies. There's a Monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations."

"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly," the Queen suggested. It was a common reason for the church to turn against another member, or at least dislike them.

"That's what I thought," he nodded, "But now I wonder…what if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet."

The Doctor glanced towards Father Angelo, seeing what Laila had. They both looked on as the man muttered under his breath, chanting quietly with a Latin tongue "lupus deus est". The Doctor looked down, a bit surprised when Laila slipped her hand under his. He could almost hear her breathing a bit heavily. He gave her hand a small squeeze.

"What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?" Sir Robert said.

"And what if they were with us right now," the Doctor said.

Suddenly everything just broke out into chaos. Monks wandered into the room, chanting along with Father Angelo, louder than before.

"What is the meaning of this?" the Queen demanded, looking around.

"Explain yourself, Sir Robert!" the Captain ordered, pointing his gun at the man.

She turned to look at him as well, "What's happening…."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," he apologized, seeming truly sorry, "They've got my wife."

The Doctor's eyes widened, "Rose!" he shouted, standing up, not noticing he dropped his accent, "Where's Rose?" he turned to face the Father, "Where is she?!"

Father Angelo ignored him and he frowned, looking down as Laila tugged on his sleeve, "I know where she is," she said quietly enough for him to hear.

He nodded before turning to Sir Robert, "Sir Robert," he called, "Come on!"

The trio ran from the room as the Captain turned his weapon to Father Angelo, who looked unfazed by the threat, not even bothering to turn around.

S.S

As the moon glittered down on the wolf, it slowly began its transformation from man to beast. The man part of him screamed in agony as his skin started bulge terribly. After a minute his cries turned into growls as he started to take on the image of an actually wolf.

Rose turned away from the werewolf as she, the household staff, and Lady Isobel tried to pull the chains free, "….three….Pull!" she yelled as they all tugged on the chain, desperately trying to break them.

"One….two…three…pull!"

S.S

"Tell me, sir," the Captain spoke to Father Angelo, "I demand to know your intention!"

"Lupus deus est," Father Angelo chanted, "Lupus deus est. Lu…."

"What is it that you want?"

He stopped chanting to turn to face him, "The thrown," he simply said before lunging forwards, ripping the gun from the Captain's hand and hit him, knocking him backwards. The Queen looked on with wide eyes.

S.S

Laila ran down the corridor, beside her was the Doctor and behind them was Sir Robert.

S.S

The transformation on the wolf was finally complete. It growled and flexed its claws at the prisoners screamed, "One, two, three, pull!" Rose shouted.

And finally the chain came free just as the door to the cellar was knocked down, the Doctor, Laila, and Sir Robert running in. Laila looked over at the wolf as the Doctor turned to Rose.

"Where the hell have you been!?" she cried.

He didn't respond to her, instead he turned to face the wolf as well with wide-eyes, non-surprisingly in awe, as it grabbed hold of the bars to the cage, "Oh, that's beautiful!" he remarked.

Sir Robert turned to his wife, urgency in his command, "Get out!"

The wolf growled as it bended and broke the bars off the metal prison, throwing the cage to the side. Everyone rushed towards the doors. Hearing their screams, the Doctor shook himself out of his moment, remembering the urgency of the situation and turned around to help.

"Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" he ushered, pushing them all out of the door.

"Come on…." Rose pleaded.

Laila, still standing in her spot, moved towards the beast as it turned to face her, growling. Suddenly she was pulled back and out the door by the Doctor, who came back in, seeing her still standing there. They were nearly hit with a piece of the cage as the wolf threw it at them. The Doctor slammed the door shut and locked it with the sonic. They could hear the wolf howl on the other side.

"What were you about to do?" he turned to face Laila, who only stared at him silently before looking down at her hand, holding it up for him to see. He frowned, a bit confused. What did she want him to see? All that was there was a ring….a ring….

He stared a bit more closely at the ring, seeing a moon symbol on it. He looked up at her.

"I can calm him," she said quietly, enough so that only he could hear, "Go, I can handle it right now."

He automatically shook his head. No, no he wasn't going to let her stay, not with a werewolf standing in the other room. He took her hand, dragging her off down the hall.

"Doctor, I can help!" she tried to tell him, but he wouldn't have a word of it. He'd been alone for too long and he wasn't about to take the risk of being alone again, though there was something else to it too, something he couldn't pin-point at this moment.

S.S

They ended up in another room, one far from the cellar to give them time before the wolf arrived. The Steward walked around, handing guns to all the men. The Doctor looked over at Laila, who was standing beside him, as she narrowed her eyes at the men. He would laugh if the situation weren't so serious.

"Arms….and your strife…ready everyone?" the Steward said before looking at Lady Isobel, "Take the girls. Get them out through the kitchen."

She didn't respond to that, only turned to face her husband, "I can't leave you," she said, teary eyed, "What will you do?"

"I must defend her Majesty," he told her, "Now, don't think of me…just go."

Isobel stared at him for a moment, as if it were her last, before she kissed him. She then turned to face the maids, "All of you at my side, come on!" she turned and led them towards the kitchen. On the side the Doctor was using the sonic to free Rose of her handcuffs, Laila standing beside them.

"It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths…." he looked up at her, "Did you say what it wanted?"

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne….you name it," she said before looking at Laila, "Who's she?"

"Uh, Rose this is Laila, you know the woman we saw earlier in the Observatory," he introduced, "She's…like me."

She frowned, "What d'you mean 'like you'?" she asked, "Like a…"

"A Time Lady," he nodded, smiling. He couldn't help it. It felt too good to have another one of his kind beside him now. Perhaps now, while they weren't doing anything, he could ask her what he wanted to. He turned to face her, "Laila, I was wondering…."

She looked at him before turning back as a thumping sound emitted from the direction of the cellar. They all looked around. Laila slowly walked over to the door, the Doctor behind her, as she walked into the hall to see what the commotion was. They looked down the way to see the wolf standing at the other end of the corridor. The Doctor stared at it and it had him, frowning as it turned its attention on Laila instead of him. He reached over to pull her back into the room with him, not noticing the beast growl when he did. He grabbed Rose's hand, pulling her behind him along with Laila as the men stood with their guns poised and ready.

"Fire!" the Steward yelled.

They shot at the wolf, who stumbled back a few steps. The Doctor looked on as he shielded the women from the line of fire. He could feel Laila shaking behind him, though he couldn't look at her from his current position.

"Fire!"

Rose flinched and Laila whimpered a bit as they fired another round.

Then everything grew quiet and they all looked up, the room full of smoke now. They looked around to see neither a hair nor sign of the wolf. The Doctor fully stood, helping Laila up as she stumbled a bit, her thoughts obviously else were.

"Laila," he tried to shake her of her reverie, "Laila, it's alright. It's over, we're alright. The wolf's gone, for now…"

Laila swallowed and wrenched herself from his grasp, turning away from him, which he had to admit stung a little. He took no notice to Rose, who'd stood up on her own, narrow her eyes at them.

The Doctor looked at Laila in concern for a minute before turning towards the men, seeing that she would be like that for a while, "All right," he began, "You mean, we should retreat upstairs, come with me."

"I'll not retreat," the Steward stated, "The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault."

"Yes," Laila said, looking up, gaining their attention, "No creature _on Earth_ could survive such a thing, but obvious this thing is not _of Earth_, is it?" she looked at the man, "Your arrogance will be your downfall."

The Steward scoffed at that to which the Doctor glared at him for. The evidence was right in front of the man and here he was denying it, like a true fool.

"We're telling you, come upstairs!" he told the man, angrily.

"And I'm tell you, sir, and you," the Steward looked at Laila, "miss, that I will sleep tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall," he turned and walked across the room to look down the corridor, checking for signs of the wolf. The Doctor watched him, angrily and concerned. Laila looked at him, silently slipping her hand through his, making him look at her. She smiled a little at him, silently telling him everything would be fine. He squeezed her hand, only able to hope so.

Rose eyed them from her spot in the room. They had to have just met! So why were they acting like they knew each other so well! She was taking his hand, he was taking hers, and showing concern for her wellbeing! Yeah, she was a Time Lady, someone he could relate to in terms of well…everything. She paused and frowned at that, realization dawning upon her. She was a Time Lady! She would be able to understand him when she, herself, couldn't. They could laugh about things only their race would find amusing, speaking in their own language to each other while she sat back and listened like a…like a third wheel.

She shook her head at that thought. No, no, she wouldn't be a third wheel. She and the Doctor went through a lot together since she met him, so there was no possible way she would lose him to another w….person. He still cared about her. She was 100% certain of that.

She wasn't about to let this get in the way of her and the Doctor. It had always been just them two, together, along with other people, but those times never lasted long. Most of the time it was just her and the Doctor with only each other on their adventures, and nothing was going to change their relationship, no one, not even a Time Lady. It wasn't like she was going to be travelling with them.

She smiled to herself as the Steward walked back in, looking mildly triumphant, "Must've crawled away to die…."

His sentence was cut short as he was lifted up and through the ceiling by the wolf, the sounds of him being devoured echoing down.

Laila shook her head sadly. She hated death, she really, REALLY, hated death. She looked over at the Doctor, seeing him looking up at the ceiling. He didn't even know the full story, the full story of what happen during the Time War, what she did, or at least blamed herself for. She was afraid and….she didn't want to lose someone else….especially when they were within her reach.

Suddenly she felt herself being pulled away as the Doctor dragged her and Rose out the room, "There's nothing we can do!" he said, though she could tell that he wished there was.

They ran down the hall and towards another room. The Doctor shut the door behind them and locked it with the sonic.

"Your Majesty!" Sir Robert called and they all turned to see the Queen coming down the stairs, "Your Majesty!"

"Sir Robert!" she looked at them, "What's happening?" the Doctor ran off towards the front, "I heard such terrible noises."

"You Majesty," he said, walking up to help her, "We've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?"

"Captain Reynolds disposed of him," she said, and that was the end of that conversation.

"The front door's no good," the Doctor spoke up, "It's been boarded shut," he looked at the Queen, "Pardon me, Your Majesty….you'll have to leg it out of a window," he gestured towards an open door. The Queen nodded with her held high as they walked through the door into another area.

"Excuse my manners, Ma'am, but I shall go first," Sir Robert said, "the better to assist Her Majesty's egress."

"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh," she nodded.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, impatiently, "Any chance you could hurry up?"

Sir Robert walked over to the window, about to climb out when Laila called out, "Wait!" she cried, stopping him.

He turned to face her, a little shocked, "Yes?"

"I….I remember something," she said, a little louder than usual, "The monks….they've….they've blocked out the outside world. They're everywhere," she moved over towards the window, looking out for a minute, "They're outside, you'll die if you go out there."

Sir Robert looked out the window as well, seeing tiny glimpses of movement in the bushes, "I see," he nodded, "Thank you."

She looked at him, a genuine smile on her face, "You and Lady Isobel rescued me, and so I owe you my life."

He smiled back at her, nodding, "It was nothing," he stated, "Who would we be were we to have left you there?"

She opened her mouth to respond when the Doctor walked up in between them, not noticing what he did as he looked out the window, seeing what they saw, "I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside," he remarked.

"Do they know who I am?" the Queen said, irate.

"Yeah, that's why they want ya," Rose spoke up, "The wolf lined you up for a…biting."

"Now, stop this talk," she waved her off, "There can't be an actual wolf."

Not a second later did a howl ring throughout the Torchwood manor. They all looked around in alarm before leaving the room, running into the corridor as they heard battering on the door.

"What do we do?" Rose asked, looking at the Doctor.

"We run!" he said.

"Is that it?!" she asked, a bit surprised. Usually he'd come up with more than that by now, it was one of the things that amazed her when it came to him. His quick thinking skills.

"You got any silver bullets?" he asked, not noticing when Laila frowned at him for it.

"Not on me, no!"

"There we are then, we run," he turned to face the Queen, "Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog," he started to run on the spot to demonstrate, "Good for the health. Come on!" he grabbed a hold of her hand and led her from the room, the others following behind him. They ran as fast as they could up the staircase, the sound of the wolf drawing nearer only making them run faster, "Come on! Come on!"

They reached the top of the stairs and ran through a couple of a hall ways, the wolf close behind them. It was ready to pounce when the Captain appeared, holding a gun. He fired at the wolf, making Laila wince as it drew back down the hall. He turned to face them as they stood behind a wall, out of breath.

"I'll take this position and hold it," he said, "You keep moving, for God's sake! Your Majesty…" he looked at her, "I went to look for the property, it was taken. The chest was empty."

"I have it," she told him, "It's safe."

He nodded, relieved, "Then remove yourself, Ma'am. Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's Protector. And you, Sir Robert…." he narrowed his eyes, "You're a traitor to the crown," he cocked his gun, turning to face the way the wolf retreated in.

"Bullets can't stop it!" the Doctor warned him.

"They'll but you time," he said, "Now, run!"

He positioned himself at the end of the corridor, his gun held ready to fire. The Queen and Sir Robert made their way in the opposite direction, followed by the Doctor, then Rose, but Laila stayed standing beside the Captain.

"I order you, Ms. Kerrigan, to go!" he stated, only to feel her hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her, to see her staring at him before she knelt down and whispered something into his ear. He stared at her as she stood, confused by what she told him, about to question her when the Doctor came bounding back down the hall.

"Laila!" he cried, "What are you doing?!"

She looked at him then down the hall as the wolf turned the corner, heading straight for them. She looked down at the Captain, "You know what to do," she said before the Doctor ran over to drag her away from the scene. She looked up at him to see he looked mildly irate and she sighed, not sure what to tell him.

They entered into the library and he shut the door before turning to face her, "Why?" he asked, "Why do you keep doing that?"

Though the real question was, why was he _so_ worried? It was driving him crazy.

She just stared at him, "Th…there's a saying," she said, "With the Beast came the Girl and with the Girl the Beast would surely be freed," she stepped closer to him, "Doctor, I AM that girl."

He stared at her.

"He won't hurt me," she said.

"She's right," Sir Robert walked up to them, "It won't. It came one night while were off in another town, and it attacked this couple. We were nearby so we went over to help them, but of course…you know," he blinked, "I didn't see it at the time, but my wife did, and so did Ms. Kerrigan. It was about to attack us as well when she stepped in front of us…and it strangely stopped."

The Doctor looked at Laila and she looked at him, "I've seen way too many people die, Doctor," she said, "And you have too, I know. Please," she looked down, "Just let me do this."

He looked around the room for a minute, in thought, "Ok," he nodded, "No one else dies."

She smiled a bit at him and he smiled back, "Let's barricade these doors," he stopped, realizing something, "Why hasn't the….?"

Laila raised her hand, "That was me," she looked down, "I knew I couldn't stop Captain Reynolds from doing what he did best, protecting others, but I did tell him something that could keep him alive for a few extra minutes."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't question it as he, Rose, and Sir Robert began to barricade the doors with chairs and bits of wood, "Wait a minute," the Doctor frowned, standing atop of a chair, pressing his ear against the door, "It's stopped. It's gone."

"Listen…" Rose said.

The Doctor climbed quietly down from the chair and there was silence in the library as they heard the wolf progress around exterior walls, terrified. The Queen shook from her spot.

"Is this the only door?" the Doctor asked, looking at Laila, who shook her head immediately. She led him over to the other door and helped to barricade it shut.

"Shh!" Rose whispered.

They looked around as they heard the sounds the werewolf was making…then it stopped, the footsteps echoing into the distance.

"I don't understand," she said, "What's stopping it?"

"Something inside this room," the Doctor said, looking around, "What is it? Why can't it get in?"

"I'll tell you what, though…."

"What?"

"Werewolf….!" she grinned.

"I know!" he laughed, before feeling a tug at his sleeve. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was, but he did it anyways, making Rose frown and narrow her eyes at the interruption.

Laila looked him up and down, "Are….are you always like this?" she asked, quietly, "Does this amuse you?"

He frowned, clearing his throat, "Uh," he tried to come up with a reasonable excuse as to why he was laughing at a time like this when he saw her smiling bit at him. He grinned back, figuring out she was kidding, or at least mostly kidding.

The Queen stared at the trio, shocked with wide-eyes. How could they be enjoying themselves at a time like this! It was completely unreasonable!

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," Sir Robert walked up behind her, "It's all my fault. I should've sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong, I….thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing wrong with my household staff?"

Laila placed a hand on his arm, "Even if she did leave," she frowned, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but they would've found a way to find you," she looked at Sir Robert, "And they would've killed you and your wife, along with the rest of us. This isn't the best situation but it's not the worst either."

He sighed, knowing she was right.

"Well," the Doctor interrupted, "They were bald, athletic…your wife's away, I just thought you were happy."

"I'll tell you what though, Ma'am, I bet you're not amused now," Rose remarked.

"Do you think this is funny?" the Queen snapped.

"No, Ma'am," she said meekly, "I'm sorry."

"What, exactly, I pray someone please…what exactly is that creature?" she asked, stressed.

"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform," the Doctor explained.

She turned to face him, "And should I trust you, sir?" she questioned, "You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?"

He blinked, realizing he'd dropped it a while back, "Oh…right, sorry…."

"I'll not have it," she said, "No, sir….not you….not that thing…none of it. This is not my world."

S.S

Lady Isobel glanced out the window of the kitchen to see the monks outside, she eyed what was around their neck, "Mistletoe….they're all garlanded in mistletoe and the wolf doesn't attack them," she said to the maid, "Who brought this into the kitchen?"

"It must've been the Brethren," Flora suggested.

"Gather it up," she ordered, "Quickly. Every last scrap!"

They all began to scramble to pick up the mistletoe off the floor, throwing it onto the table once their hands were full.

S.S

The Doctor ran his hand along the wall in the room, "Mistletoe….Sir Robert, did your father put that there?" he asked.

"I don't know, I suppose…." Sir Robert said.

"On the other door, too….a carving wouldn't be enough…I wonder…."

Laila and Rose shot him strange looks as he licked, actually licked, the woodwork.

"Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe….it's been worked into the wood like a varnish!" he grinned, looking at Sir Robert, "How clever was your dad? I love him!" he turned to face Rose, "Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose guessed.

"Well, it thinks it is," he explained, "The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things."

"Nevertheless," Sir Robert interrupted, "That creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon."

"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?"

Rose shook her head, "Being rude again."

He looked at her, "Good," he nodded, "I meant that one," he moved over to the book shelves, "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world," he slipped on his glasses, "This room's the greatest arsenal we could have," he took a selection of books and handed them to Rose, "Arm yourself."

S.S

Rose, the Doctor, and Sir Robert were frantically flicking through the books, searching for the solution to their problem, "Biology, zoology…there might be something on wolves in here…."

The Doctor chucked her a book, "Hold on, what about this?"

"….some form of explosive…." Sir Robert read as is flicked through his book.

Laila eyed them before moving over to the Doctor, tugging on his pant leg as he was standing on the ladder. He looked down at her to see her pointing to an area above him. He looked up, "Ooh…." he grabbed a book and jumped down from the ladder, placing the book on the table, "Look what your old dad found," Sir Robert and Rose gathered around to look at the book, "Something fell to Earth."

They looked on to see an illustration of a rock falling to Earth from the sky.

"A spaceship?" Rose guessed.

"A shooting star," Sir Robert corrected, "'In the year of our Lord, 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit,'" he looked up, "That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the Monastery."

"But that's over three hundred years ago," Rose said, "What's it been waiting for?"

"Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down on the generations. It survived through the humans. Host after host after host," the Doctor said.

"But why does it want the throne?" Sir Robert asked.

"That's what it wants. It said so, the….Empire of the Wolf," Rose said.

"Imagine it," the Doctor blinked, "The Victorian Age accelerated…starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam…leaving history devastated in its wake…."

"Sir Robert!" the Queen called, standing up as Sir Robert ran over to her, "If I'm to die here…."

"Don't say that, You Majesty," he shook his head.

"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me," she continued, "But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself," she reached over and opened her bag.

"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables," the Doctor commented.

"Thank you for your opinion," she said, "But there's nothing more valuable than this," she pulled a diamond from the bag and held it in the palm of her hand.

"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose asked, amazed.

"Oh, yes…." the Doctor nodded, "The greatest diamond in the world."

He and Rose shuffled towards it to get a closer look, "Given to me as the spoils of war," the Queen stated, "Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."

"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough," he said, "Can I…." he held out his hand. She placed it gingerly in his palm. He pushed his glasses down his nose to view it more closely. Rose poked at it, her eyes wide.

"That's so beautiful," he remarked.

"How much is that worth?" Rose asked.

"They say…the wages of the entire planet for a whole week."

"Good thing my mum's not here," she said, "She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing."

"And she'd win," he looked at her as she laughed.

"Where is the wolf?" Sir Robert wondered, walking away from the group, "I don't trust this silence."

He turned his gaze to Laila, who'd gone quiet for a while now. She was currently looking out the window, her hand on her necklace and the ring on her finger.

"Why do you travel with it?" the Doctor asked the Queen.

"My annual pilgrimage," she told him, "I'm taking it to Helier and Carew. The Royal Jewelers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting."

"Oh, but it's perfect," Rose said.

"My late husband never thought so."

"Now, there's a fact….Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down," the Doctor said, "It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."

The Queen nodded, "He always said…the shine was not quite right," she said, "But he died with it still unfinished."

"Unfinished…." his eyes widened, "Oh, yes!"

He tossed the diamond back to the Queen, who caught it in her hands.

"There's a lot of unfinished business in this house," he said as he worked it out, "His father's research…your husband, Ma'am, he came here and sought the perfect diamond…hold on, hold on," he ran his hand through his hair violently as he tried to work it all out, "All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected! Oh, my head, my head! What if….this house, it's a trap for you….is that right, Ma'am."

"Obviously," she said.

"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But! What if there's a trap inside the trap?"

She stared at him, "Explain yourself, Doctor."

"What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true," he explained, "They dared to imagine all this was true. And they planned against it. Laying the real trap not for you…but for the wolf."

They all looked up as a fine sprinkling of plaster fell from the ceiling to see the werewolf walking over the glass dome over their heads, but it wasn't looking at them. No, it was looking at Laila who was staring up at it, calm despite it growling at her. The Doctor ran over to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her over to the door as they all began to pull the the barricade apart.

"Out! Out! Out!" the Doctor shouted as Rose, Sir Robert, and the Queen ran out the door.

"Your Majesty!" Sir Robert called.

Laila looked at the wolf as it crashed down onto the table, breaking it into two, sadly but happily. It was almost time….

S.S

The five of them ran down the corridor, "Gotta get to the observatory!" the Doctor told them as they ran around a corner, the wolf on their tail.

Rose turned around and stared at the wolf, transfixed. Just as the wolf was about to pounce on her and she screamed, Lady Isobel ran up to them, throwing a pan of mistletoe water onto them. Rose screamed again but the werewolf bounded back down the corridor away from them.

"Good shot!" the Doctor said, running up to them.

"It was mistletoe!"

He nodded before running a little ways down the corridor after the wolf, Laila and Rose following after him.

"Isobel!"

She turned to face her husband as he pulled her into a kiss, "Get back downstairs," he told her.

"Keep yourself safe," she said, kissing him again.

"You go."

She turned and led the maids off past him and back towards the kitchen, "Girls, come with me. Down the back stairs, back to the kitchen. Quickly!" she called.

Sir Robert looked on as they disappeared around a corner, heartbrokenness in his gaze.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted once seeing the coast was clear. They set off on another run down the hall.

"The observatory's this way!" Sir Robert said as they reached the central staircase. They hurried up it as fast as they could, hearing the wolf recovering and returning to its chase after them. Finally they reached the Observatory.

"No mistletoe on these doors," the Doctor said, "Your father wanted the wolf to get inside! Get inside I need time! Is there any way of barricading this?!"

"Just do you work and I'll defend it," Sir Robert said.

Laila's eyes snapped to him at that and she softly shook her head. He couldn't be serious.

But it seemed that the Doctor didn't hear him, "If we could bind them shut with rope or something!" he said.

"I said I'd find you time, sir," he said once again.

Rose and the Queen stared at him, aghast.

"No," Laila shook her head, "You're….you're not going to do it."

He turned to face her, "I must, for the Queen, for my wife, for all of you," he smiled, "It's my civic duty as well as something that I must do."

She shook her head, "No, I mean you don't have to kill yourself to distract it," she said, confusing him as well as the others. She took off her necklace, placing it in his palms.

"Hold it up to the wolf when it gets near," she told him, "It should still him for about three minutes, but he'll be in shock for two, which makes for a total of five minutes," she looked down, "Use that time to get back in here, alright?"

He stared at her, having never heard her say so much in one go, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she looked up, "Now go, we'll be inside."

She turned and walked into the Observatory, the Doctor, the Queen, and Rose following her.

"Your Majesty, the diamond," the Doctor said, holding out his hand.

"For what purpose?" she asked.

"The purpose it was designed for."

S.S

Sir Robert locked the door from the outside, just in the events this plan didn't work. He turned as he heard the howls of the wolf from down the corridor. He took a sword from the display on the wall as the wolf bounded closer to them.

S.S

The Queen handed the diamond over to the Doctor, who took it and ran over to the mechanism for the telescope, "Rose! Laila!" both women ran over to him, "Lift it! Come on!"

The trio struggled to turn the wheel, but the cogs started to shift and the telescope to rise, "Is this the right time for stargazing?"

"Yes, it is," he said.

S.S

Sir Robert stared at the wolf as it slowly approached him, "I committed treason for you," he said, "And I will walk away with my honour!"

He held up Laila's necklace to the wolf and watched, in slight amazement, as the wolf stopped, _actually_ stopped. It growled, but didn't move, almost like it was in a trance. He lowered the necklace and stared at it, before remembering what Laila has told him and got to work opening the door.

S.S

Laila looked over at the door as Sir Robert ran inside, out of breath, likely from the near-death experience, "It worked!" he said, "We've got about four minutes left."

Laila ran over to him, taking the necklace out of his hands, "Good work," she nodded before moving back over to help the Doctor and Rose.

"You said this thing doesn't work!" Rose cried.

"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is!" the Doctor said, "It's a light chamber! It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up!"

"But there's no electricity!"

The Doctor grunted as he turned the wheel before looking at the light chamber.

"Moonlight!" she said, working it out, "But it needs moonlight! It's made by moonlight!"

"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown," he said, "Come on!" the Light chamber finally began to align with the moon, "Come on!"

At last it was properly aligned and the Doctor and Rose stepped away from the gears as the moonlight beams bounced off the prisms. Just as the werewolf broke through the door, the light spewed forward from the end of the light chamber onto the floor and far short of the wolf as it advanced on the Queen. The Doctor dived and threw the Koh-I-Noor into the beam of light. Suddenly a fantastic, prismatic beam of white hit the werewolf, lifting it off the ground as it was caught in the wash of moonlight. They all looked on as it began to retake human form.

"Make it brighter," the host said quietly, "Free me."

The Doctor moved across to the light chamber, about to do so when Laila walked up to him, handing him her necklace and her ring. He looked at the items, confused, before she pointed down. He looked down at the chamber and saw two inserts, one large and circular, like her necklace badge, and the other small and round like her ring. He looked up, "Oh, that's brilliant," he took the items and placed them in their proper places.

They both turned and with one final howl from the wolf form, the human and creature vanished and the light shut off. Rose sighed in relief. The Queen, however, was looking down at her wrist, which the Doctor noticed.

"Your Majesty?" he began, "Did you bite you?"

"No, it's….it's a cut," she excused.

"If that thing bit you…."

"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart," she said.

"Let me see," he reached forwards but she pulled her hand back sharply.

"It _is_ nothing."

He stared at her in disbelief.

S.S

It was early in the morning as the sun rose over the valley. The Doctor and Rose walked forwards and knelt before the Queen. Everyone was present at the ceremony including Lady Isobel who was holding onto Sir Robert with the maids standing around them.

"But the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee: Sir Doctor of TARDIS," she tapped him on each shoulder with a sword before turning to Rose, "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee: Dame Rose of the Powell Estate."

"You may stand," the Queen told them as they rose.

"Many thanks, Ma'am," the Doctor told her.

"Thanks!" Rose grinned, "They're never going to believe this back home."

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving a message from the great beyond…." he started, looking at her, "I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you now Ma'am, even from beyond the grave."

"Indeed," she nodded, "Then you may think on this, also: that I am not amused."

The Doctor groaned while Rose smirked, "Yes!" she gloated.

"Not remotely amused," the Queen continued, "And henceforth….I banish you."

The Doctor and Rose looked on stunned.

"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor. And now you are exiled from this empire, never to return," she told them, anger lacing her voice, "I don't know what you are, the two of you…no, the three of you," she looked around, seeing Laila exiting the house, a large bag in her hand. She stopped, seeing them all looking at her, "I know that you consort with stars….and magic….and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death and I will not allow it! You will leave these shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you managed to stray away far from all that is good. And how much longer you will survive this….terrible life," she stepped away from them, "Now leave my world. And never return."

S.S

Rose, the Doctor, and Laila after their banishment had hitched a ride back to the TARDIS on the back of a farmer's cart. It jolted as it came to a stop.

"Woah!" the farmer said.

They all jumped off the back of the cart. Laila looked around, spotting the TARDIS nearby.

"Cheers, Dougal!" the Doctor called, waving as they walked away and the farmer drove off, "You know, the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood! It's historical record haemophiliac. It used to be called the Royal Disease! But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it….it came from nowhere!"

"What and you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose looked at him.

"Well, maybe Haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism."

"For werewolf!"

"Could be!" he shrugged.

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" she shook her head, having a little trouble believing that.

"Could be! And, her children had the Royal Disease," he continued, "Maybe she gave them a quick nip."

"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?"

"Well…maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take….a hundred years to mature…might be ready by….oooh….early 21st century….?"

"Nah!" she laughed, "That's just ridiculous! Mind you…Princess Anne…!"

"I'll say no more," he smiled.

"And if you think about it…they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They….they could schedule themselves around the moon….we'd never know!"

The Doctor sniggered as they reached the TARDIS. He opened the door and Rose walked through, Laila staying outside for a minute.

"Um," she looked down, "You can er…just drop me off somewhere."

"They're like hunting! They love blood sports!" Rose continued. She turned around, not hearing a response and saw the Doctor and Laila conversing outside. She frowned, her jaw tensing a bit.

"Why would I do that?" the Doctor asked.

She shrugged, "I don't know."

"Would you like to stay?" he asked, before backtracking, "I mean! It's all up to you! I would like it if you were to, though…."

She stared at him for a minute, "Sure, I'd like that too," she smiled.

He smiled back at her before following after her into the TARDIS.

S.S

By far the longest chapter I've done so far. Usually it stops at 5,000-6,000 words but this, THIS, has reached a near 8,000 words. But I like it overall.

Now, I know that Laila has spoken a lot in this episode, but she won't always do that, which will affect a certain Time Lord and then we'll get to the meaning of this story. There's also something in this chapter that the Doctor will develop a habit of doing throughout the Series! Can you guess what it is?

Cool, two more reviews, thanks guys!

Damon's Charlene: Yeah, that story will come to view either before this season ends or during The Runaway Bride, I haven't decided yet. But, I will tell you that it affects her a lot, and you'll see why when the story comes into place.

Mionerocks: Thank you, I'm glad you like it!


	4. School Reunion: Old Companions

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

School Reunion

Chapter 4: Old Companions

* * *

The Doctor walked into his assigned classroom, noting the subject he was given to teach as he scrawled it across the whiteboard, "So," he began, "Physics," he replaced the cap on the board pen and threw it back down on the desk, turning to the class, "Physics. Eh? Physics. Phyyyyyyyys. Physics! Physics. Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics."

The class looked back at him, bemused looks on their faces. The Doctor sniffed, "I hope one of you is getting all this down," he said, "Um, okay…let's see what you know. Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?"

Immediately a hand was raised into the air and he turned to face the pupil, "Yes…uh, what's your name?" he asked.

"Milo," the boy answered.

"Milo!" he nodded, "Off you go."

"They'd repel each other because they have the same charge," he said.

"Correctamundo!" the Doctor grimaced, "A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again. Question two…I coil up a thin piece of micro wire and place it in a glass of water. Then I turn on the electricity and measure to see if the water's temperature is affected. My question is this; how do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?"

Milo raised his hand, but the Doctor didn't call on him, "Someone else," he said, looking around the class to see the blank looks of the students, "Nope….? Okay, Milo…go for it."

"Measure the current and PDs in an ampmeter and a voltmeter," he said. His classmates looked at each other and at him, some impressed others bored.

The Doctor nodded, "Two to Milo! Right then, Milo, tell me this; true or false…the greater the dampening of the system, the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings."

"False."

"What's is a non-coding DNA?"

"DNA that doesn't code for a protein."

"Sixty-five-thousand-nine-hundred-and-eighty-three times five?"

"Three-hundred-and-twenty-nine-thousand-nine-hundr ed-and-fifteen."

The students surrounding him looked at him with mixed expressions now, some were impressed by his quick knowledge and others looked clearly disturbed. The Doctor looked at Milo, another question coming to mind, and if he knew the answer, well then he knew the rumors had to be correct.

"How do you travel faster than light?" he asked.

"By opening a quantum tunnel with an FTL factory of 36.7 recurring," Milo quickly responded.

The Doctor's mouth dropped open at that point. Milo was correct.

S.S

As soon as the bell for lunch rang, the cafeteria became full of students and teachers yearning for their afternoon luncheon. The Doctor moved along in the food line with his tray as the other teachers were. He passed by Rose, dressed down in her undercover look as a dinner lady, as she spooned mashed potatoes onto his plate along with a rather dirty look. He just smirked at her before heading towards the table. He looked around, spotting Laila sitting by herself, looking down at her plate.

He walked over and sat in the chair next to her, "Hello," he said, "How's the job?" he picked up his fork, stabbing it through a chip before nibbling on it. His face scrunched up in disgust and he put the fork back down.

"I was teaching the Spanish American War," she spoke quietly, "I asked a question and somehow it led to them telling me everything that happened during it," she rubbed her head, "I thought they'd never stop talking."

He chuckled, "One of the students in Physics told me how to travel faster than light," he said, "There's definitely something going on around here."

Laila looked at him and then back to her plate as Rose wandered over to them with a dishcloth at hand, "Two days," she said.

"Sorry," the Doctor looked at her, "Could you just….there's a bit of gravy," he pointed to it with his fork as she wiped the table, "No, no…just there."

"Two days, we've been here," she continued.

"Blame your boyfriend, he's the one who put us onto this," he told her, "And he was right. Boy in class this morning…got knowledge way beyond planet Earth."

Rose looked up at him and then down at his plate, "You eating those chips?"

"Yeah, they're a bit…." he shook his head, "different."

"I think they're gorgeous," she remarked, "Wish I had school dinners like this," she sat down as she helped herself to a couple.

He looked around the canteen, "It's very well behaved, this place," he said.

"Mm."

"I thought there'd be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs," he looked at Laila, who raised an eyebrow at him before shaking her head, "Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones," he turned his focus to Rose who was still gouging in the chips, "Yeah? Yeah? Oh, yeah! Don't tell me I don't fit in."

Laila looked at him before standing, "I have to go prepare this test for next period," she said, dumping her tray and walking off. The Doctor watched her in concern. It was strange, he thought the whole quiet phase was just a…phase, she talked quite a bit during their last adventure with the werewolf, but now she was back down to quiet and reserved, and sad. She probably didn't notice, but he noticed it.

He was excited about having the Time Lady onboard the TARDIS and he felt _ecstatic_ when she accepted the offer. He'd just gone on and on about the different places they could go, some she knew of and others she'd never seen before. And she seemed excited too, nodding her head along when she heard something of interest, and shaking it when not.

It couldn't have been anything he'd done, or at least he hoped not. He couldn't recall doing anything to upset her during their last trip, or during the small intermission they had before receiving the call from Mickey. He wanted to ask her was what wrong, _actually_ he tried to ask her what was wrong earlier but she shrugged the question off. He didn't want to push her to tell him anything, mostly because he didn't want to drive her away.

"You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting."

He turned, his thoughts leaving him as another dinner lady approached their table, her eyes narrowed slightly at Rose, who stood at her arrival, "I was just talking to this teacher," she told her.

"Hello!" he waved.

"He doesn't like the chips," she whispered.

The dinner lady looked at him, obviously affronted by that, "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance," she said, "Now, get back to work," she turned and walked away.

"See?" Rose looked at the Doctor, gesturing at her uniform, "This is me. The dinner lady."

"I'll have the crumble," he called after her, grinning.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm so gonna kill you," she said before returning to her station.

He sniggered under his breath before he turned, watching as a teacher approached a table full of students, "Melissa," he said, "You'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me…so it's time we moved you up to the top class," he turned towards another student, "Kenny? Not eating the chips?"

Kenny looked down, "I'm not allowed.

He nodded, "Luke," he said, "Extra class. Now," he turned and walked away with several of the student's right behind him.

The Doctor turned from the scene to see the headmaster, Mr. Finch, standing atop of a balcony above the canteen. Their eyes met before the headmaster walked away.

S.S

Rose was doing her duty in the kitchen, which meant washing the dishes after everyone's meal. Behind her a couple of other dinner ladies came in, wheeling a barrel of oil very, very, carefully. They all had on protective gear.

"I said keep it steady," one of the dinner ladies said, "Careful…that's it….easy now…steady…"

Rose looked down as her mobile rang, pulling it out of her pocket.

"Right, second barrel…quickly now!"

She put the phone to her ear, already knowing who it was, "What you got?"

"Confirmation," Mickey's voice came through the other end, "I just got into army records. Three months ago, massive UFO activity. They logged over forty sightings…lights in the sky, all of that. I can't get any photos, 'cos then it gets all classified and secret. Keeps locking me out."

"Tell you what, though," she spoke, "Three months ago, turns out all the kitchen staff were replaced," she eyed the dinner ladies as they wheeled in another barrel of oil into the kitchen, again with strange caution, "And this lot are weird."

"See, there's definitely something going on," he said, "I was right to call you home."

She blinked, "I thought maybe you called me home just to…well, just to call me home."

"Do you think I'd just invent an emergency?"

"Well, you could've done!" she smiled.

"That's the last thing I'd do," he said and she could tell he was smiling as well.

"Watch it!" a dinner lady cried as some oil started to spill from the barrel. Rose looked at them, distractedly.

"Because every time I see you, an emergency just gets in the way…." Mickey continued.

She didn't respond, nor did she hear him, as she watched the barrel of oil topped over and spill onto one of the dinner ladies. It wouldn't have been such a strange thing if it weren't for how she started to smoke, and scream in agony.

"I've gotta go," Rose spoke into the cell, hanging up, her eyes still on the scene in front of her.

"Get her up, get her up!"

The other dinner ladies carefully lifted the affected one to her feet. They steered her into a nearby office, the woman still wailing in pain. Rose walked over to the window, trying to see through it but the blinds were swiftly drawn, blocking her view. She turned and began to dial 999 as the door to the office opened, the head dinner lady stepping out. She pulled her goggles off and leaned against the doorframe, eying her suspiciously.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

Rose looked at her, "Calling an ambulance."

"No need," she shook her head, "She's quite all right."

She frowned but hung up her phone. She nearly jumped as a slight explosion emitted from the office with it the sound of something smashing before a billow of smoke filtered from the room. The dinner lady looked at her unfazed.

"It's fine," she said, "She does that," she walked back into the office, shutting the door behind her. Rose stood in her spot, confused. She turned her head towards the barrel of oil, moving over to it for a closer look.

S.S

The Doctor was sitting on top of a desk, nibbling on a biscuit with Laila sitting next to him in a chair, quiet. In front of them a teacher paced back and forth, going on about what he'd seen in his classroom, "But yesterday," he went on, "I have a twelve year old girl give me the exact height of the Walls of Troy…in cubits."

"And, it's ever since the new headmaster arrived," the Doctor looked at him.

"Finch arrived three months ago," he said, "Next day, half the staff got flu. Finch replaced them with that lot," he nodded over to where a group of stoic, sharp-looking teachers were standing. The Doctor and Laila looked over at them.

"Except for the teachers you two replaced," he said, "I mean the history teacher was pretty old, we told him he needed to retire, but with you," he looked at the Doctor, "that was just plain weird, her winning the lottery like that."

"How's that weird?" he asked.

"She never played!" he said, "Said the ticket was posted through her door at midnight."

"Hmm!" he popped another biscuit into his mouth, "The world is very strange."

"Excuse me, colleagues...a moment of your time."

The Doctor turned and his widened as he stood, his only function being able to stare at the moment. Laila looked at him, confused for a moment before she looked to where he was staring, making the connection almost immediately.

"May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith," Mr. Finch introduced, "Miss Smith is a journalist, who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times."

Sarah smiled at all of them. The Doctor continued to stare at her, the corners of his mouth beginning to turn upwards in a smile.

"I thought it might be useful for her to get 'a view from the trenches', so to speak," he continued, "Don't spare my blushes," he turned and left the room.

Sarah looked around the room for a moment before her eye caught the Doctor's and she wandered over to him, "Hello!" she greeted.

"Oh, I should think so!" he grinned.

"And, you are….?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Hm? Uh, Smith. John Smith."

"John Smith?" she repeated, "I used to have a friend who sometimes when by that name."

"Well, it's a very common name," he said.

"He was a very uncommon man," she countered, a reminiscent smile on her face. She shook her head, knocking herself from her thoughts and held out her hand, "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you!" he nodded, "Yes! Very nice! More than nice…brilliant!"

"Um…so, um, have you worked here long?" she asked, dropping her hand to her side.

"No!" he shook his head, "Um, it's only my second day, actually it's…." he turned around to find Laila, only to find her missing. He frowned, his eyebrows scrunching up in confusion. She was just sitting right behind him….

"Um, never mind," he shook his head, turning back around.

"Oh, you're new, then?" she nodded, "So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum?" she took no notice to the huge smile on his face, "So many children getting ill…doesn't that strike you as odd?"

If his smile could get any wider, it would've been, "You don't sound like someone doing a profile," he noted.

"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here," she said.

"No," he said, "Good for you."

She smiled at him before walking away to meet some of the other teachers. He turned to watch her, a smile still on his face, "Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith."

S.S

Night had fallen over the town and the school halls were dark and empty, the chairs up on the desks. A torch shined over a classroom window and Sarah appeared, looking around for a minute before undoing the hatch and climbing in.

S.S

The Doctor opened a fire door and walked through into the dark educational facility, followed by Laila, Rose, and Mickey.

"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night," Rose remarked, "It just feels wrong," they made their way cautiously down the corridor, "When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school."

The Doctor stopped in his tracks, turning to face them, "All right, team," he shook his head, "Oh, I hate people who say 'team'. Um…'gang'. Um…'comrades'. Uh….anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen and get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Math teachers go and check out the Maths department," he turned to face Laila, "We're gonna look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes," he took her hand and led her up the stairs, not taking notice to Rose glaring at them, or more specifically Laila, as they did.

Mickey looked at her and then where the couple had run off to, feeling a bit more than uncomfortable.

"You gonna be all right?" Rose asked him, turning her attention away from the Doctor and Laila to him.

He looked at her, "Me?" he scoffed, "Please. Infiltration and investigation? I'm an expert at this," he walked off with a purpose. Rose stood still and waited with a smirk on her face as he almost immediately headed back to her, "Where's the Maths department?"

She pointed in the opposite direction, "Down there, turn left, through the fire doors, on the right."

He nodded, "Thank you," he walked away again.

S.S

The Doctor and Laila headed down a dark corridor, the Doctor still holding onto her hand as they did. They looked around, eyebrows furrowed as the sound of screeching and flapping reached them in the distance. They looked at each other before running off to the find the source of the noise.

S.S

Sarah kneeled down in front of the headmaster's office, trying to pick it open. She stopped, hearing a bang followed by a screech from nearby. She spun around, her eyes wide as the sounds grew louder and closer. She took a quick intake of breath before backing away down the hall.

She found herself in another room and she slammed the door behind her. She turned around and she gasped. There in front of her was the TARDIS. Her eyes widened and she backed up out of the room, disbelief crossing her features…

She back up some more, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the box. Finally she did and when she did she saw the Doctor standing there in the darkness, watching her. Behind him was Laila, her back turned to give the two some privacy.

"Hello, Sarah Jane," the Doctor said quietly.

"It's you," Sarah breathed, "Oh….Doctor…." a smile began to spread across her face as she edged towards him, "Oh, my God, it's you, it's….it's…you've regenerated."

"Half a dozen times since we last met," he nodded.

"You look…incredible," she said, looking him over.

"So do you."

She waved him off, "I got old," she walked around him still looking at him, "What're you doing here?"

"Well…UFO sightings, school gets record results…I couldn't resist," he smiled, "What about you?"

"Same."

The both shared a laugh, but her smile quickly faded as she spoke again, her voice cracking a bit, "I thought you died," she said, "I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must've died."

"I lived," he said in quiet pain. "Everyone else died, but…."

"You…." she shook her head, not wanting to bring up any painful memories, but watched as he quietly spoke to the woman standing at the door, who turned around and walked into the room, a small smile on her face.

The Doctor smiled a bit, "Sarah Jane Smith, meet Laila Kerrigan, last of the Time Ladies," he introduced, "Laila, meet Sarah Jane Smith, one of my finest companions."

Sarah waved him off, "Stop it," she said before looking at Laila, "Are you really….?"

She nodded, "It's nice to meet an old companion of the Doctor's," she said.

"That's wonderful," she smiled, shaking her head, before turning to the Doctor "I still can't believe it's you."

The moment was broken by the sound of a scream in the distance and she grinned, "Okay!" she nodded, "Now I can!"

The trio ran from the room in the direction of the scream. They almost ran into Rose who was running from an intersecting corridor, "Did you hear that?" she asked before noticing Sarah Jane, "Who's she?"

"Rose, Sarah Jane!" he introduced quickly, "Sarah Jane, Rose."

Rose looked at the woman surprised, but not pleasantly as they shook hands.

"Hi," Sarah smiled tensely, "Nice to meet you," she looked at the Doctor, "You can tell you're getting older…your assistants are getting younger."

Laila raised an eyebrow at that. She wasn't sure why, but she could feel the tension between the two women. She supposed it was understandable in a way…

"I'm not his assistant," Rose remarked angrily.

The Doctor scratched his ear uncomfortably before looking at Laila who was gesturing for them to move along, "Right," he nodded, "Come on!"

He ran off with her beside him, Sarah and Rose right behind them. They eventually found Mickey in one of the classrooms, surrounded by a horde of vacuum-packed rats.

"Sorry!" he said, seeing them, "Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I…I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell out of them."

The Doctor bent over and picked up a few of them, looking them over.

"Oh, my God, they're rats," Rose said, "Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats."

"And you decided to scream," he looked at Mickey, eyebrow raised.

"It took me by surprise!"

"Like a little girl?"

"It was dark!" he defended himself, "I was covered in rats!"

"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt," he mocked before looking at Laila who was shaking her head at him. She walked over to Mickey, smiling a little at him before whispering something in his ear. After she pulled away he started to laugh, which made the Doctor frown. What was going on?

"That's funny," Mickey nodded, "You must be Laila, you know considering I've never seen you before and you're the only woman beside those two," he nodded at Rose and Sarah.

She nodded, "You must be Mickey," she said quietly, "Nice to meet you," she held out her hand.

He smiled and shook it, "Right back at ya," he said before turning to the others, chuckling a bit when he looked at the Doctor's slightly put-out expression.

He didn't know why Rose had a problem with Laila. She seemed like a nice lady and it kind of touched him that she told him what she did just to cheer him up. And she didn't even know him!

The Doctor looked at Laila for an explanation but she only shrugged, pretending to not know what he was talking about. She smiled and walked past him to stand near the wall as he watched her. He felt oddly upset for some reason, but it didn't have to do with what she told Mickey, no, it was something else.

"Hello, can we focus?" Rose called, making them all look at her, "Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?"

"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them," Sarah said, "Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"

The Doctor, Mickey, and Laila looked between the two.

"Excuse me," Rose retorted, "No one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?"

"Anyway," the Doctor quickly intervened, "Moving on. Everything started when Mr. Finch arrived. We should go and check his office," he chucked the rat back to Mickey, only for Laila to catch it and shoot him a strange look. She turned to Mickey with an apologetic smile before following after the group.

They found themselves in another hall, "I don't mean to be rude or anything," Rose said, looking at Sarah, "But who exactly are you?"

"Sarah Jane Smith," Sarah introduced, "I used to travel with the Doctor."

"Oh!" she nodded, "Well, he's never mentioned you."

Laila looked at the Doctor on that, her eyebrow raised in a silent question. He looked at her, opening and closing his mouth in an attempt to come up with a logical explanation for that. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about them, it was just hard to.

He looked down when he felt her hand slip through his, then back up to see an understanding look on her face. He smiled at her before looking at the other two women, "Um, yeah I must've done!" he said, "Sarah Jane! Mention her all the time."

"Hold on…" Rose trailed, pretending to think about it, "…sorry…never."

"What, not even once?" Sarah's eyes widened, "He didn't mention me once?"

Rose smirked and walked off with her at her trail, leaving the other three behind them. Mickey laughed, slapping his hand on the Doctor's shoulder, "Ho! Ho! Mate! The missus and the ex," he said, "Welcome to every man's worst nightmare."

They hurried to follow after the women before they killed each other.

S.S

Ah! We've got the quiet Laila back now, who will be popping up from time to time until we get to a certain moment in this season. All I can say is it's about the Time War.

By the way I've posted the theme to this story, so check it out on my YouTube page.

Alright, alright, I've gotten two more review since the last post. Cool!

Mionerocks: Yes, yes she is. I wanted to view her here like in the show. I mean if she actually knew Laila since the beginning she might've been nicer, but since this is in a time where she's already started to fall for the Doctor, she's protective Rose now. No, Laila won't stand up to Rose, but I know of a couple of people who will ;) River will be…something, that's all I can tell you.

Zoev: Thank you for your review, I appreciate it. The Doctor _is_ excited about having a Time Lady, but it's like when you're happy to see your friend after they've been gone for a year and they're just different, sad and reserved. You want nothing more to do than to make them happy again, but you can't be happy until they're happy. And we'll get to why that is with him and Laila at this early point in time later. Well, as we can see she's fine with Sarah Jane, who will be one of the people to notice a change in the Doctor demeanor at certain points in this episode. Laila is sensitive and I can say that she can handle Rose's jealousy well, but when it comes to certain things (like with what the Queen told her) it affects her, which we'll find out why in an upcoming episode where well…let's just say it's kind of sad….

I never liked Rose from the beginning, I mean I enjoyed the episodes, but I think Rose should've just stayed with Mickey. I mean, come on, you don't get a guy who's willing to devote his life and time to you, it just doesn't happen like that. And she did get a guy like that and she blew it for a man who would still look the same when she turned old and crusty, which he TELLS her in this episode. I mean, I understand him wanting to have his companion back, but come on! She's going back and forth between dimensions, something he TOLD her in Doomsday that wounds time, and he doesn't even say anything about it. She killed Donna in Turn Left (or was it Right?) plus she was proud when the previous companions, plus Jack, were about to destroy the Universe. Ugh….


	5. School Reunion: Krillitanes

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

School Reunion

Chapter 5: Krillitanes

* * *

The quintet assembled in front of the headmaster's office, the others keeping a watchful eye out while the Doctor used the sonic to open the door. Laila looked back at him from time to time, watching as he worked with a small smile on her face. She couldn't pin-point why, but she liked seeing him work.

"Maybe those rats were food," he remarked.

Rose looked at him, "Food for what?" she asked.

He didn't respond to her as he slowly opened the door to look inside. Laila, who was the closest to him, followed his gaze and could only stare at the scene in front of her.

"Rose," the Doctor began, his eyes still on the ceiling, "You know how you used to think all the teachers slept in the school….? Well….they do."

Rose, Mickey, and Sarah all stretched their necks to see thirteen bat-like creatures hanging upside down from the top of the room, "No way!" Mickey shook his head, taking off down the corridor. Sarah, Rose, and Laila followed soon after. The Doctor was the last to go, shutting the door behind him. Unbeknownst to him the interruption caused one of the creatures to wake.

S.S

They found themselves in the front of school, "I am not going back in there," Mickey cried, "No way."

"Those were teachers!" Rose said, clearly stunned. Maybe as a child she would've been more believing of all of that, but now that she was older it was kind of more difficult to wrap her mind around that idea. Though, given all the things she and the Doctor had seen, it wasn't really that shocking.

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse," the Doctor told them, "Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on," he turned and made his way back inside. The other four stayed put.

"Come on!" Mickey said, "You've got to be kidding!"

"I need the TARDIS," he turned around, "I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchen."

"Doctor," Laila looked up at him, worry in her eyes, "We're gonna need some sort of protection when we go wandering back in there…."

He stared at her for a minute, a look on his face that clearly said he wanted to say something, but didn't, "Oh, it'll be fine," he said, waving it off, "No need to worry," he shot her a reassuring smile, holding up the sonic, waving it a bit in the air, "Got the sonic, all I need."

She continued to look at him for a moment, and then she let out a sigh.

Sarah looked between him and her, her eyebrow scrunched together, before she shook her head, "I might be able to help you, there. I've got something to show you!" she reached over and grabbed the Doctor's arm and pulled him in the direction of the car parking lot.

S.S

Sarah opened the boot of her car, inside were various items and knick-knacks. In the midst of all the objects was a green blanket, obviously covering over another trinket. The Doctor pulled the cover off to reveal a robotic dog.

"K9!" he grinned, "Laila, Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith…allow me to introduce K9…well, K9 Mark III to be precise."

Mickey and Rose glanced at each other with an odd expression while Laila slowly moved forwards, looking over the tin dog, "I had a dog once…." she said, "They're my favorite pets."

Sarah looked at her, "What happened to your dog?"

"I don't know, one day it was in the house, the next day it was…." she cleared her throat, averting her eyes from them, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"You…." the Doctor looked at her and her at him, "We could…."

"I'm fine," she interrupted, "But thank you for caring," a small smile graced her face.

"Why does he look so…disco?" Rose remarked, butting into their little moment. She didn't like where this day was going. First she had to deal with a Time Lady getting on board the TARDIS, _now_ meeting an old companion of the Doctor's, who he's _never_ mentioned before this moment, was just a little too much.

"Oi!" the Doctor turned to look at her, "Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge! What's happened to him?"

"Oh, one day, he just…." Sarah shook her head, "Nothing!"

"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?"

Mickey shook his head and Rose stared at him, neither understanding what was so important about a metal dog. It was metal! It wasn't like it was a real live hound, one that you would see running around the block or down the street, barking in the middle of the night.

"Well, it's not like getting parts for a mini-metro!" she retorted, "Besides, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone!"

The Doctor turned back to face K9, stroking the top of his head, "Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you? Eh?" he cooed. Mickey stared at him and Rose rolled her eyes, exasperated. Laila watched the Time Lord, shaking her head a bit, but with a smile still on her face. Sarah shot Rose a look of triumph.

"Look," Rose frowned, "No offense or anything but could you three stop petting for a minute? Never mind the tin dog, we're busy!"

The Doctor looked at her before standing, grinning. In the darkened sky the shadow of a bat flew past the moon, a terrible screech echoing from its mouth.

S.S

In the morning, the group headed a local chip shop. The Doctor wanted a chance to repair K9, while catching up with what Sarah had been doing since her times in the TARDIS. They were currently sitting at a table near the window. Laila was with the couple, watching and listening quietly as they chatted. There was a moment in their discussions that the Doctor looked over at the Time Lady, speaking to her seemingly under his breath, worry etched on his face, something that made Rose narrow her eyes. What were they talking about? Whatever it was, Laila didn't respond to him, only shook her head and turned away from them. She noted the Doctor's slightly hurt expression before he turned back to Sarah, who was also looking at the Time Lady in concern.

That woman was strange, changing her demeanor from one to another. One day she was talking, the next day she was quiet, and it was beginning to repeat itself. She thought it was rather annoying, kind of unnecessary. Part of her thought she was doing it to gain attention from the Doctor, because he was paying a lot of attention to her as of late, and another part of her noted the small things that made the first accusation wrong. But she always went back to the first, it seemed much more logical to her than the later.

"You see, what's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said 'I told you so'," Mickey spoke, interrupting her thoughts.

She turned her gaze away from the trio, "I'm not listening to this," she said.

"Although," he grinned, "I have prepared a little 'I was right' dance that I can show you later," he chuckled just as the shopkeeper came over to them, holding out her hand to Rose.

"Two quid, love," she said.

Rose handed her the money, quickly taking the chips and digging in immediately.

"All this time you've been giving it 'he's different!'" Mickey continued, "…when the truth is, he's just like any other bloke!" he shook his head as they sat at a table away from the others.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she countered. No, she wasn't wrong. The Doctor was different than any other guy/bloke she'd met so far. He was everything you would imagine in a dark hero type, something she admitted she liked. Even with that title, he was still unlike than any other man who walked into her life. She knew that for a fact.

"Maybe not," he shrugged, eying her for a minute, "But if I were you…I'd go easy on the chips."

She looked up at him, a couple of crumbs covering her mouth, a half-eaten chip hanging from the side.

S.S

The Doctor turned his gaze from Laila, though he was worried for her. She wasn't speaking, which he was starting to find normal now, but she was also twitchy and jumpy this morning. They had decided to rest up for the night at Sarah's, since they couldn't go inside the school just yet, and she seemed fine then. Fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow….he'd done a check on her, Rose, and Mickey….just to see if they were alright, that's all, nothing else, nope. When she came down the stairs in the morning, she was shaking a little he noted, but figured she was just cold. But then she wouldn't look at anyone, not even him. She was willing to now, however she was still quiet and reserved, plus freaked.

He tried to ask her if she had any bad dreams the night before, only to be shrugged off once more. He understood, there were some things you just didn't want to talk about. And they had only just met, she was probably not comfortable talking to him yet about those things. Though the question that still remained….why did it still hurt when she pushed him away?

Sarah, from her spot beside him, watched his demeanor change from excitement to solemn in a quick second. And she knew why. It was kind of sweet, if one thought about it. She was worried about Laila as well, she could clearly see the woman was shaken up about something, refusing to talk about it…or rather talk at all. And it was affecting the Doctor, even if he couldn't tell.

"I thought of you on Christmas Day," she told him, making him look at her, "This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship, overhead…I thought, 'Oh, yeah. Bet he's up there'."

"Right on top of it, yeah," he nodded.

"And Rose?" she asked cautiously.

He turned his head to finish working on K9, "She was there too."

There was silence at the table while she looked at him and he fiddled with K9's wires.

"Did I do something wrong?" she pressed, hurt evident in her voice, "Because you never came back for me. You just…dumped me."

"I told you," he said, still not looking at her, "I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."

"I waited for you," she continued, "I missed you."

He laughed under his breath, "Oh, you didn't need me!" he brushed it off, "You were getting on with your life."

"You were my life."

He stopped, his eyes snapping to her, a bit of shock on his face.

"You know what the most difficult thing was?" she asked, "Coping with what happens next, and with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?"

"All those things you saw…." he frowned, his brow furrowed, "Do you want me to apologize for that?"

"No," she shook her head, "But we get a taste of that splendor…and then we have to go back."

He smiled a little, "But look at you, you're investigating," he refuted, "You found that school…you're doing what we always did."

"You could've come back," she said.

"I couldn't," he said quietly.

She frowned, "Why not?"

He didn't answer her, instead he turned and switched the sonic on, returning his attention to K9.

"It wasn't Croydon…where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon!" she went on.

He blinked, "Where was it?"

"Aberdeen," she ground out, irate.

"Right…." he nodded, pausing for a moment, "That's next to Croydon, isn't it?"

She smiled and shook her head, and at that moment K9 sprang to life, his eyes lighting up and his tail wagging, "Oh, hey!" he cheered, "Now we're in business!"

Laila looked at the dog, a tiny smile beginning to show on her face. The Doctor looked at her and caught it, smiling as well. Well, at least she was smiling. That was something, right?

"Master!" K9 spoke.

He turned to face him, "He recognizes me!" he said happily. He'd regenerated six times since he last saw the dog…that was just something, wasn't it?

"Affirmative," K9 nodded his head, his tail still wagging away.

"Rose," the Doctor turned to where they were, "Give us the oil."

S.S

Rose, after retrieving the jar of oil, handed it over to the Doctor who begun to unscrew the lid off of it, about to stick his finger inside…

"I wouldn't touch it," Rose warned him, "though, that dinner lady got all scalded."

"I'm no dinner lady," he said, "And I don't often say that," he dipped his finger into the substance and K9 rolled over to him, sticking out a sensor as he smeared the oil onto it, "Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."

"Oil," K9 processed, "Ex…ex…ex…extract. Ana…ana…analyzing…."

"Listen to it, man!" Mickey grinned, "That's a voice!"

"Careful!" Sarah narrowed her eyes at him, "That's my dog!"

Mickey smiled at her sheepishly.

"Confirmation of analysis…substance is Krillitane Oil," K9 informed them.

"They're Krillitanes," the Doctor said, shock evident in his voice.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked.

"Very," he nodded, "Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

"And what are…Krillitanes?" Sarah wondered.

He sighed, "They're a composite race," he began, "Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries…people you've invaded or have been invaded by, you've got bits…bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever…the Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry-pick the best from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

Rose frowned, "What're they doing here?"

He blinked, then his eyes widened in realization. He looked at Laila and her at him, seeing that she came up with the same conclusion, "It's the children," he said, looking back at the others, "They're doing something to the children."

S.S

Mickey and Sarah boosted K9 into the trunk of Sarah's car, "So," Mickey looked at her, "What's the deal with the tin dog?"

"The Doctor likes travelling with an entourage. Sometimes they're humans, sometimes they're aliens, and sometimes…they're tin dogs," she explained, earning a laugh from him, "What about you? Where do you fit in the picture?"

"Me?" he grinned, "I'm their Man in Havana. I'm the technical support, I'm…." he blinked, "Oh, my God. I'm the tin dog," he sat down as the shock of it washed over it. Sarah smiled and patted him on the shoulder, reassuringly.

S.S

The Doctor walked out of the chip shop, followed by Laila, then by Rose. He had brought the Time Lady back along with him, so they could have a small discussion. He was kind of hoping that she would talk to him, unfortunately his luck wasn't running that high today. They were about to leave when Rose came in, having followed them.

"How many of us have there been," she called after him, "travelling with you?"

"Does it matter?" he retorted.

"Yeah," she said, her voice trembling, "If I'm just the latest in the long line."

"As opposed to what?" he stopped and turned to look at her, slightly hurt. Laila looked at him and then at Rose before she turned and tried to walk away, only for the Doctor to take hold of her hand, pulling her beside him. He looked at her, hoping he was conveying his message in his eyes. He didn't want her to leave, he needed her here.

She let out a sigh and nodded, turning her gaze elsewhere.

Rose narrowed her eyes a bit, "I thought you and me were…." she shook her head, "But I obviously got it wrong. I've been to the year five billion, right, but this…now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me?"

"No," he said, "Not to you."

"But Sarah Jane….you were that close to her once, and now…." she frowned, "You never even mention her. Why not?"

"I don't age," he explained, "I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to everyone you've grown to care for. That's why I…" he took a deep breath, "I've seen so many deaths, no more. That's why I haven't talked about her. Imagine if she were dead, imagine if you died…old, your life having passed you by. I stand there, and I remember! I remember every moment with every companion, you, and I can't help but think….it's over, it's really over," he shut his eyes tight, taking another breath before opening them, "You can spend the rest of your life with me…"

Rose looked at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"But I can't spend the rest of mine with you," he finished, "I have to live on. Alone…well," he looked at Laila, "Maybe not alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."

"Time Lord."

The Doctor, Rose, and Laila looked up to see Mr. Finch and a Krillitane on the roof. It screeched and swooped down towards them. The Doctor pulled Laila down as they all ducked, but it didn't attack. They looked around them to see Sarah and Mickey running towards them, having seen the creature.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah asked, wide-eyed.

"But it didn't even touch her, it just flew off!" Rose shook her head, "What did it do that for?"

Laila looked up at the sky, seeing the Krillitane flying across it. She shook her head softly, a sad look crossing her face.

S.S

Hm, you would think the Doctor would love Rose by now. That's what he wanted to say in this episode, but never got to it, just like in Doomsday. This is connected to why he feels the way he does around Laila, which we'll find out at the end of this season. Now, that whole scene there with the Doctor, Rose, and Laila…well, let's just say that Rose has to blame someone for it….hehe…

I got one more review since the last chapter, pretty awesome

Mionerocks: Well, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you as well. And I'm glad you like the chapter.


	6. School Reunion: Two of a Kind

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

School Reunion

Chapter 6: Two of a Kind

* * *

The Doctor, Mickey, Rose, Sarah and Laila got out of Sarah's car and walked towards the school. The Doctor stopped in front of the doors, turning to face the others, "Rose and Sarah, you go to the Maths room," he said, "Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this."

Rose held her hand out for the sonic, but he placed it in Sarah's palm instead. She frowned, angry and a bit hurt. She thought back to what he said at the chip shop, she couldn't believe it. He had to feel something for her. She could've sworn that he did. What had changed? Her eyes slithered over to Laila, who was currently gazing at the ground, her thoughts elsewhere.

At the chip shop, the Time Lady was there too, she noted that. But, she also remembered her trying to leave, only to be pulled back by the Doctor. The way he looked at her….

Whatever had happened, she had to be the center of it. It made so much sense! She was probably faking all that innocence as well, just to get his attention. Rose smirked a little, she knew the truth. All she needed now was the proof, and then the Doctor too would see just how sly the woman was. Then it would be just him and her, like it should be.

"Mickey," the Doctor turned to the boy, "I want you outside."

"Just stand outside?" Mickey raised an eyebrow. What sort of job was that?

Sarah tossed him her car keys, "Here, take these…" she said, "You can keep K9 company."

"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack," the Doctor reminded him.

He turned towards him, "But he's metal!" he argued.

"I didn't mean for him."

"What're you gonna do?" Rose turned her attention to the Time Lord, whose gaze shifted to Laila as she too stared at him.

"It's time I had a word with Mr. Finch," he responded before glancing at Laila, "Wanna come with?" her gaze moved from him to the school, then back to him, then she shook her head, no. He stared at her for a second in concern, "You ok?"

She nodded, "Fine," she said quickly, "I'll…stay out here with Mickey, if you don't mind."

The Doctor continued to stare, a flash of agitation washing over him. But it wasn't directed at Laila, no, it was at Mickey. He couldn't be….? No, no, no, no, no, no possible way. He wasn't and never would be. There was nothing to be….jealous…about, nope. God, what was wrong with him?!

He shook his head, realizing he'd been standing there, silently watching at her, for more than a minute. He cleared his throat, "No, no," he tried to smile, "It's fine, much safer that way. Ah, but if you need anything, I'll be inside…." he turned on his heel and walked inside the building.

Laila watched as he did, averting her eyes when he disappeared around a corner. She sighed before walking off back towards the car.

S.S

Mr. Finch walked through the hallway, passing various children and teachers along the way. He stopped, turning his head upwards to see the Doctor leaning over the stairwell, peering down at him, and making no attempt to hide it. He sent the man a hard look, then continued on his way.

S.S

The Doctor opened the door to the swimming pool room, his eyes landing across the way to see the headmaster standing on the other side of the water, "Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Brother Lassa," Mr. Finch answered, "And you?"

"The Doctor," he said in return, "Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"

"It's been our form for nearly ten generations, now," he explained, "Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day, just imagine."

"And now you're shaped human."

Mr. Finch peered up at him, "A personal favorite, that's all."

The Doctor blinked, "And the others?"

"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitanes lies beneath." Both men began to inch slowly towards the same side of the pool, still maintaining their discussion, "And what of the Time Lords? I always thought of you as a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and…chaos. And of course…." He smiled mock-sadly, "They're all but extinct. Only you and Ms. Kerrigan. The last."

"This plan of yours…what is it?" he asked.

"You don't know."

"That's why I'm asking."

They came to a stopping point, now facing each other.

"Well," Mr. Finch smiled, "Show me how clever you are. Work it out."

"If I don't like it," the Doctor narrowed his eyes, "Then it will stop."

"Fascinating," he turned his attention over to him, "Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Doctor?" he smirked, "How would Ms. Kerrigan feel about that? Be careful now," his smirk widened, "One wrong move here and it may just be game over," he sighed dramatically, "Oh, shame that you don't know…."

The Doctor frowned at that, his brow furrowed, "That I don't know what?"

"About her," he blinked, "She's an interesting woman, you know. Could imagine there would be few men after her affections," he chuckled, seeing the Time Lord's gaze turn elsewhere, his mouth pulled into a thin line, "The Lonely God and the Lonelier Goddess, you two make quite the pair."

The Doctor snapped his eyes back to him, confused. What did he mean by that, 'the Lonelier Goddess'? He couldn't wrap his mind around it. In what way was she lonely? He supposed, by his assumptions, with her family history that she was lonely in that aspect. Of course, she hadn't confirmed nor denied his thoughts back in the Torchwood manor. But, he felt like that wasn't it, no, it was something else…

He shook his head, shaking himself of his thoughts, turning his attention back to the headmaster, "You get one warning," he said, "That was it," he turned and began to walk away.

"But we're not even enemies," Mr. Finch called after him, "Soon….you will embrace us, and if not, I'm sure Ms. Kerrigan would be more than happy to oblige."

He stopped in his tracks, turning to face the man, glaring at him, "Don't you touch her," he warned.

Mr. Finch chuckled once more, "The next time we meet, you will join with me, along with her," he said, "I promise you," he walked past the Time Lord with a knowing smile on his face and out the door. The Doctor watched him go, brow furrowed before he walked out as well.

He needed to get Laila. It wasn't that he didn't trust Mickey to keep her safe….well, actually that was it. He _didn't _trust the man to keep her safe, for whatever reason. She needed to be by _his_ side, where _he_ could watch her, _not_ someone else.

He closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This whole thing seemed like it was getting more complicated and it all had to do with her. He wanted to be frustrated, and he was, but not at her, no he couldn't be at her. He was so confused, something he hated within itself. Why were all these emotions flicking themselves onto him? And it had to be just him, she never showed a sign of going through what he did. But then again, she didn't show a lot of things….something he wanted to change.

At least he figured something out, out of it all. He wanted her to trust him, _completely_. To be able to reveal things to him that she couldn't. The reason why was still a question in his mind.

S.S

Mickey winded down the car window, looking over at Laila as she did the same on her side. He folded his arms, "'Surveillance'. If you ask me, it's just another way of saying 'go sit at the back of the class with the safety scissors and glitter'."

Laila turned her head towards him, shaking her head, "Don't say that," she smiled, "You figured out that there was something going on with the students here, and called us because you were certain. I'd say that grounds for calling you intelligent," she turned back around, her brow furrowed as confusion crossed her face. Mickey followed her gaze to see a figure walking hastily towards them, the Doctor. What was he doing?

Laila opened the door on her side, stepping out as the Time Lord reached her, "What are you…?"

"I don't want you out here," he interrupted, "Don't question it….just please…don't stay out here," he shot her a pleading look.

She stared at him, wide-eyed, before her expression softened and a smile made its way onto her face, "Alright."

He blinked, "R…really?"

He had expected her to shake her head no for the second time, in which he'd have to resort to other measures to get her inside the building. But for her to agree to it….

She nodded, "Yes, I….want to now," she said, lightly pushing him in the shoulder, a somewhat tense smile on her face. She whipped around and stuck her head in the car, "I'm going inside, unless you need the company…"

Mickey directed his gaze to her, and then at the Doctor, who was giving him a look that basically dared him to say yes. He blinked and shook his head, "Nah, I'm fine," he told her, "Go."

She continued to watch at him, "Are you sure?"

He nodded, "Yeah, go, go!" he waved her off.

She pulled her head out of the car, closing the door behind her. Then the Doctor took her hand, leading her off towards the building at a fast speed.

S.S

In the Maths department, Sarah was crouched beneath one of the computers in a lab, trying to switch on the sonic. She back up and stood to her feet, hitting the keyboard in agitation, glaring at the screwdriver. Rose observed the scene from her spot on one of the chairs.

"It's not working!" Sarah said.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Give it to me," she took it from out of her hand, ducking beneath the desk.

She crossed her arms, "Used to work first time in my day."

"Well, things were a lot simpler back then," she remarked, turning on the sonic. It whirred and buzzed as she held it to the back of the computer, getting to work.

"Rose," Sarah began, "Can I give you a bit of advice?"

Rose stood, giving her a bored glance, "I've got a feeling you're about to."

"I know how intense a relationship with the Doctor can be, and I don't want you to feel I'm intruding…"

"I don't feel threatened by you if that's what you mean," she interrupted.

"Right," Sarah nodded, "Good. Because, I'm not interested in picking up where we left off."

"No?" she laughed, "With the big sad eyes and the robot dog? What else were you doing last night?"

"I was just saying how hard it was adjusting to life back on Earth…."

Rose shook her head, walking back a few paces from the woman, "The things is…when you two met…they'd only just got rid of rationing," she commented, "No wonder all that space stuff was a bit too much for ya."

Sarah narrowed her eyes, walking up to her, "I had no problem with space stuff," she defended, "I saw things you wouldn't believe."

"Try me."

She smirked, "Mummies."

"I've met ghost."

"Robots. Lots of robots."

"Slitheen. In Downing Street."

"Daleks!"

"Met the emperor," Rose said, snorting.

"Anti-Matter monsters," Sarah countered.

"Gas masked zombies."

"Real living dinosaurs!"

"Real living werewolf!"

"The Loch Ness Monster!"

Rose paused, staring at her, "….Seriously?"

Sarah shook her head, her hand over her mouth. A smile made its way to Rose's face, a thought coming to her mind, and she laughed slightly, "Listen to us," she said, "It's like me and my mate Shireen. The only time we feel out was over a man, and….we're arguing over the Doctor," Sarah nodded, agreeing, leaning back to relax against the desk, "With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety-miles-per-hour, and you'd go, 'what?' and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"

"All the time!" Sarah nodded as they laughed, "Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"

"Yeah! Yeah! He does!" she laughed, "I'm like 'do you two wanna be alone?'"

The two began to laugh harder just as who should walk in but the Doctor, with Laila behind him, "How's it going?" he asked.

They viewed him and laughed even harder, to the point of tears.

"What?" the Doctor frowned, "Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these."

They continued to laugh at him hysterically, Rose pointing the sonic at the Time Lord, who appeared genuinely confused. He glanced over at Laila, who shrugged. She hadn't a clue why the two were laughing as hard as they were.

"What?" he said, twisting around back to the women, "Stop it!"

S.S

Mr. Finch wandered into his office, where the rest of the staff/Krillitanes were seated around the desk, "Brother," he began, "We must initiate the final phase. Get the children inside and seal the school. Our time has come, my brothers. Today we shall become Gods."

S.S

Outside, the children ran around enjoying themselves in the playground, laughing and playing games. Then the loudspeaker's buzzer went off, and they all stopped, "All pupils to class immediately. And would all members of staff congregate in the staff room," a voice over the speaker announced.

Without any hesitation, all the kids migrated towards the school, except Kenny. Melissa stopped in her tracks as she passed him, "Breaktime's finished early. Isn't that fantastic?!" she said, and then she continued on her way, giving him no time to respond. Kenny stood still for a second, waiting until the last possible moment, before he reluctantly followed the crowd inside.

S.S

Rose stood by the door inside the IT Suite, the room they were occupying, shooing away the children as they tried to come inside, "No, no…this classroom's out of bounds," she said, "You've all gotta go to the South Hall. Off you go, South Hall!"

Some of the children groaned and mumbled incoherently under their breaths before they moved away, letting Rose shut the door. She smiled, then shifted her eyes over to where the Doctor was, kneeled down under a computer desk, Sarah beside him, Laila near them, standing near the wall. She narrowed her eyes at the woman for a minute before turning around.

The Doctor, with the sonic clenched between his teeth, pulled a handful of wires out of the computer they were working on, and tossed them around his neck as he ran the screwdriver along the back of the computer, a buzzing sound emitting from it as he did. Sarah watched him, a slightly anxious look upon her face.

He sighed, "I can't shift it."

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" she said.

"Anything except a deadlock seal," he told her, "There's gotta be something inside here. What're they teaching those kids?"

Sarah stood, looking around for a moment, before her eyes landed on something of interest, "You wanted the program…there it is," she said.

The Doctor hoisted himself up, seeing what she saw. Every computer in the room was displaying a green symbol of some sort, with various numbers crossing up and down behind it, including the large screen at the front of the room, "Some sort of code…" he mumbled, frowning. Slowly his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, "No…" he shook his head, "No, they can't be…"

Laila walked up beside him, also staring at the code, "The Skasis Paradigm…." she said quietly.

"They're trying to crack it," he added.

Sarah shifted her gaze between the two Time Lords, confused, "The Skasis what?"

"The….God-maker," he explained, "The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"What and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose asked, moving over to them.

"Yes," he nodded, started to pace around, trying to work it out, "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil! That oil from the kitchens, it works as a…as a…conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

"But," she blinked, "That oil's on the chips. I've been eating them."

"What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?" he quickly asked.

"Two thousand and sixty five," she immediately answered, earning a 'that says it all' look from him, "Oh my God…."

"But why use children?" Sarah asked, "Can't they use adults?"

"No, it's gotta be children," he said, "The God-maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code…they're using their souls."

"Let the lesson begin."

They all whipped around to see Mr. Finch enter into the room, "Think of it, Doctor, Ms. Kerrigan….with the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah?" the Doctor scoffed, "The whole of creation with the face of Mr. Finch. Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical," the headmaster continued, "And yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

"What," he eyed the man skeptically, "By someone like you?"

"No….someone like you two," he motioned between him and Laila, who both could only stare at him silently, having not expected that answer, "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God and a Goddess. At my side. Imagine what you two could do…think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta…your own people. Doctor. Standing tall. The Time Lords….reborn."

The Doctor stayed silent, not looking away from the headmaster, a steely expression on his face. Mr. Finch smirked before turning to Laila, who also wasn't turning from him, "What a sad life you've lived, my dear," he said and her eyes widened, "Forced to be forever alone, I can't see how you can stand it all," he smiled, "That can change, the Paradigm can bring forth a new light that will take all that sorrow," Laila winced, "pain," she bit her lip, "and above all, misery," she turned her head, "away. No longer alone, no longer scared, no more anguish…"

"Doctor, Laila," Sarah spoke from behind them, "Don't listen to them."

Mr. Finch turned towards him and Rose, "And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young….fresh…never wither, never age….never die," he told them, "Their lives are so fleeting," he turned his attention back to the Doctor, "So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

The Time Lord looked on with a faraway glaze in his eyes, "I could save everyone…."

"Yes."

"I could stop the war…." he whispered.

A small, triumphant, smile graced the headmaster's face. It was only a matter of time…

"No," Sarah shook her head, "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss…they define us as much as happiness or love."

Mr. Finch shut his eyes.

"Whether it's a world or a relationship…everything has its time. And everything ends."

"It's….it's….not worth it."

The Doctor spun around to face Laila as she stared at him, her eyes glistening from unshed tears. His arm moved automatically, but he stopped it in mid-air, lowering it back to his side.

She eyed him, curiously, before turning her attention to Mr. Finch, "I would rather be in pain, live with this sorrow and _absolute_ misery than to change the way things are now," she said, her eyes hard, "It's not worth it, and it never will be."

The Doctor couldn't take his eyes off of her, her words causing a bit a pain in his chest. He grit his teeth, shutting his eyes, before picking up a nearby chair, hurling it towards the big screen displaying the code, the impact causing the surface to break, "Out!" he shouted, taking a hold of Laila's hand, pulling her out with him as he ran, Rose and Sarah following after them.

They ran until they reached the staircase, where they quickly hurried down. Along the way they nearly ran into Kenny and Mickey, "What's going on?" he asked. A couple of screeches echoed from behind them. They whipped around to see three Krillitanes half-flying, half-groping their way along the corridor to them. The Doctor, Laila, and the others turned on their heels and ran in the opposite direction. The Krillitanes separated at the end of the corridor, only one continuing to go after them.

They ran into the canteen hall, trying to open the doors on the other side, only to find them locked. The Doctor reached inside his coat for the sonic, his other hand still holding onto to Laila's, just as Mr. Finch burst through the doors, with an entourage of several Krillitanes.

"Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked, wide-eyed.

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, "Sorry."

"Leave the Doctor and Ms. Kerrigan alive," Mr. Finch ordered, "As for the others….you can feast."

The Krillitanes screeched and swooped down on them. The Doctor pulled Laila behind him, trying to beat them off with a chair. The Time Lady watched him, a small smile on her face, then it dimmed as Rose, Mickey, and Sarah screamed, trying to duck out of the way.

Suddenly, one of the creatures was hit with a beam of red energy and fell to the ground, dead. K9 rolled into the room as Mr. Finch roared with rage.

"K9!" Sarah called, grinning.

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress," K9 spoke.

"Come on!" the Doctor said, running off with the others behind him. K9 shot at every Krillitane getting close to them, protecting them until they reached another door, "K9, hold them back!" he ushered the others into the room after he unlocked it.

"Affirmative, master," K9 nodded, "Maximum defense mode!" the door was slammed shut behind them and the Doctor locked it with the sonic, "Power supple failing…" he still managed to shoot at the Krillitanes.

Mr. Finch walked up to the dog, "Forget the shooty dog thing," he said, exasperated

"Power supply failing…"

His head lowered and his tail stopped wagging as K9 reached the end of his power supply, switching to off mode.

S.S

Inside the lab room, the Doctor paced around, a sudden thought coming to his mind, "It's the oil," he said, "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it! They've changed so the physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them," he turned to Rose, "How much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels of it," she answered.

They nearly jumped out of their skins as the Krillitanes started to pound on the locked door, their claws ripping through the material, "Okay, we need to get to the kitchens," he said, "Mickey…"

"What now, hold the coats?" he rolled his eyes.

"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then, bats, bats, bats, how do we fight bats?"

Kenny turned around and walked over to a nearby fire alarm, breaking the glass with his elbow, thus setting off the alarm. The shrill siren caused the Krillitanes to halt in their advances, quailing at the sound. The Doctor beamed at Kenny and flung open the door. They ran past the creatures, who were in too much pain and distress to hurt them. Mr. Finch ground his teeth together, forcing his hand through a wall and ripped out a couple of wires, shutting off the alarm.

"Get after them," he ordered before striding down the staircase. Once recovering, the other three Krillitanes followed after him.

S.S

The Doctor and the others dashed down a corridor as K9 emerges from a side door, "Master!"

The Doctor smiled, "Come on, boy!" he urged, "Good boy."

S.S

Mickey ran into one of the IT Suites, thinking nothing of the engrossed expressions on everyone's faces, "Okay," he called, "Listen everyone…we've gotta get out of here."

All the children continued to type, their focus on their computers. Bewildered, Mickey eyed one of the monitors, and then waved his hand in front of Melissa's face, earning no response whatsoever. He stood, sighing. This was going to be harder than he originally thought.

S.S

The Doctor, Sarah, Rose, Laila, K9, and Kenny ran into the kitchens, seeing several barrels of oil lying about. The Doctor rushed over to one, holding the sonic up to it, "They've been deadlock sealed!" he said before trying another, only to end up with the same result, "Finch must've done that…I can't open them."

"The vats would no withstand a direct hit from my laser," K9 informed him, "But my batteries are failing."

"Right," he nodded, "Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me."

Sarah, Rose, and Kenny ran out of the back door, leaving the Doctor crouched before K9. Laila, who stopped in the doorway, turned and walked over to them, kneeling in front of the dog, "One of reasons why I like dogs," she smiled, patting K9 on the head, "They love people more than themselves," she stood, looking at the Doctor as he turned to her, "Be careful."

She turned on her heel and walked off, the Time Lord watching her as she did. He shook his head, standing, getting to work on moving the vats of oil within easy shot for K9.

"Capacity for only one shot, Master," K9 told him, "For maximum impact, I must be placed beside the vat."

"But you'll be trapped inside," the Doctor frowned, rushing over to the dog.

"That is correct."

He shook his head, "I can't let you do that."

"No alternative possible, Master."

His gaze didn't leave K9 until he heard the sound of the Krillitanes screeching in the background. He glanced over his shoulder then back to the dog, realizing what had to be done, "Goodbye, old friend."

"Goodbye Master."

"You good dog."

"Affirmative," he wagged his mechanical ears and tail. The Doctor placed his hand briefly on K9's head, then dashed off out the door, slamming the door behind him, locking it with the sonic.

He turned and saw Sarah standing there, "Where's K9?" she asked, looking around for the metal pooch.

"We need to run," he told her, starting to run, only to turn back when he saw her still standing there.

"Where is he?!" she continued to question, "What've you done?"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her away. They'd just made it to where the others were when the school exploded from behind them. They turned and watched the flames dance in the windows, smoke billowing from the inside into the air.

Behind them the children all burst into cheer and applause. Rose and Mickey joined in the praise, hugging each other and grinning manically. Laila looked up at the building, a sad smile on her face before she walked over to where the Doctor and Sarah were.

"Yes!" Kenny cheered.

Beside him, Melissa turned around, "Did you have something to do with it?" she asked.

He smiled, nodding, "Yeah, I did."

Her mouth dropped open in surprise, "Oh my God," she grinned, "Kenny blew up the school! It was Kenny!"

The children cheered harder and started chanting the boy's name, some even patting him on the back. Sarah looked up at the school, distraught.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said,

"It's all right," she quickly said, "He was just a…daft metal dog. Fine, really," and at that moment she burst into tears. Laila, from beside her, pulled the woman into a hug.

"I know how you feel," she told her, quietly, "I felt the same way when I lost my dog. He was…he was the only connection I had to a better part of my past," Sarah sniffed, looking up at her, "He sacrificed his life to save mine's as well, and it hurt," she smiled, teary-eyed, "It _still_ hurts, but not as much, because I know that he wouldn't have had it any other way….K9 would rather save your life than to risk it, you have to remember that."

Sarah stared at her before pulling her into a hug, letting her cry silently into her shoulder. The Doctor watched the scene, a slightly heartbroken expression on his face.

S.S

The next day the sky rang blue and the birds chirped, as if there wasn't an evil thing in the world, ignorant to the things that happened the day before. Sarah walked along a path in the park and up head, seeing the TARDIS, hurried on. The Doctor stepped outside and smiled at her, "Cuppa tea?" he offered, moving to the side, allowing her access into the box. She walked inside, her eyes wide at the interior.

"You've redecorated!" she said.

"Do you like it?"

"Oh, I, I do," she nodded, looking around, "Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but uh…yeah. It'll do!"

"I love it," Rose remarked from her spot near the rail.

She pointed at the girl, "Hey, you…what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?" she asked.

"No idea," she shrugged, "It's gone now…the oil's faded."

"But you're still clever," Sarah smiled, "More than a match for him."

Rose smiled at the compliment, "You and me both," she turned her head towards the Doctor, seeing him looking down at the console, a thoughtful and worried expression on his face, "Doctor…?" she eyed him with concern. He seemed quiet, which was odd and unusual, since they got the TARDIS back.

"Um…" the Doctor looked up, noticing them looking at him, "We're about to head off, but…you could come with us."

Rose looked at her, smiling expectantly. Sarah looked between the two before shaking her head, no, "No," she said, "I can't do this anymore."

The Doctor's and Rose's smiles faded slightly, both evidently disappointed, "Besides," she continued, "I've got a bigger adventure ahead! Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."

"Can I come?" Mickey spoke up, having remained quiet this whole time. It was something that had been bothering him since Rose left with the Doctor. He glanced up to see Sarah staring at him in surprise, "No, not with you, I mean…with you," he gestured towards the Doctor, "'Cos I'm not the tin dog. And I wanna see what's out there."

Rose looked at the Doctor, discreetly mouthing 'no' to him. He looked at her then up at the stairs as Laila walked down, "What's going on?" she asked.

Mickey looked at her, "I…um….kind of want to travel with you guys," he said, "If that's alright…."

She blinked before smiling at him, "I don't have a problem with it, in fact, I'd love it if you were to travel with us, but that's not my decision," she said, "Doctor?" she turned towards the Time Lord to see him staring at a spot on the ground, "Doctor?"

Sarah peered at the man as well, a slightly knowing smile on her face, "Oh, go on, Doctor," she urged, "Sarah Jane Smith…a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board!"

The Doctor looked up, his gaze shifting between Laila and Sarah before he sighed, "Okay then," he said, "I could do with a laugh."

Rose rolled her eyes and Mickey laughed in delight, throwing his arm around Laila's shoulder in his excitement. He took no notice to the Doctor narrowing his eyes at the movement before he turned his head, shutting his eyes. Mickey looked at Rose, halting in his cheering, "Rose, is that okay?" he asked.

"No, great," she said sarcastically, "Why not?"

An awkward silence rose into the room, the only sound being the humming of the TARDIS console.

"Well," Sarah spoke, breaking the silence, "I'd better go," she looked at Rose, grabbing her arm and pulling her away with her, they needed to talk. The Doctor turned his attention to the computer.

Laila looked at Mickey, "Do…do you like technology?" she asked quietly.

Mickey grinned, "'Course! Technology's my middle name," he laughed and she raised an eyebrow, but smile in an amused kind of fashion.

"Wanna come help me with this…thing…I've been working on?"

He blinked, staring at her in surprise. He hadn't expected that, "Uh, yeah…sure, of course."

She grinned, her eyes lighting up, before she dragged him off up the stairs. The Doctor watched them out of the corner of his eye, a slightly hurt look on his face. There was nothing to be hurt about…so what if she asked Mickey, and not him, to work on something he hadn't a clue about. What did it matter to him? Nothing, nothing at all.

He didn't care that Mickey had managed to make her eyes light up with happiness, something he himself couldn't do. Nope, he didn't care at all. Not. At. All…..

S.S

Near the TARDIS door, Sarah stood with Rose as the girl quietly spoke to her, "What do I do?" she asked, looking at the Doctor, seeing him staring off after Mickey and Laila as they left. She could almost see the hurt on his face, but he was hiding it well, "Do I stay with him?"

Sarah watched the scene as well and sighed, "Yes," she nodded, "Some things are worth getting your heart broken for," she reached over and hugged the girl, "Fine me….if you need to, one day. Find me."

She had a feeling that day would come sooner than Rose would expect. She could tell the Doctor cared about her, cared about her a lot, but something else was quickly making its way into his hearts. And it was only a matter of time before he realized that too and did something about it. And it would hurt Rose, she was sure of that, it would really hurt her.

Rose shot the woman a small smile just as the Doctor walked over to them, holding open the door for Sarah, who stepped out of the TARDIS for what seemed like the last time. The Time Lord followed her and they stood outside for a while, "It's daft," Sarah began, "But I haven't ever thanked you for that time, and like I said…I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Something to tell the grandkids now," he said.

"Oh, I think it'll be someone else's grandkids now," she smiled.

"Right," he nodded, scratching the back of his ear, "Yes, sorry…I didn't get a chance to ask. You haven't…there hasn't been anyone…? You know….?"

She pretended to think about it, "Well…there was this one guy," she said, "I travelling with him for a while, but he was a tough act to follow," she laughed slightly and he smiled softly at her, "Goodbye, Doctor."

"Oh, it's not goodbye…"

"Say it, please," she pleaded, "This time. Say it."

He smiled sadly, looking her in the eyes, "Goodbye," he said, "My Sarah Jane," he threw his arms around her and lifted her off the ground in a final embrace. He put her back down on the ground, a smile still on his face before he headed back into the TARDIS, closing the doors behind him. Sarah turned and began to walk away, not looking back until it was a little past transparent, her eyes sparkling with tears. The leaves were swept up by the breeze from the TARDIS, revealing K9 from behind where the TARDIS was.

"K9!" she gasped, gleeful.

K9 trundled over to her, "Mistress!"

"But….you were blown up!" she crouched in front of him.

"Mistress rebuilt me," he informed, "My systems are much improved with new undetectable hyperlink facilities."

Sarah frowned, confused for a moment before her eyes widened, "Laila," she smiled, happily, "Thank you. She replaced you with a brand new model!"

"Affirmative," he nodded his metal head, "Mistress also attached a note to me."

Sarah blinked, looking around the dog, before seeing an envelope stuck to the back of the pooch. She picked it up, opening it up to reveal a letter.

_Second chances are rare, almost impossible to find, but you can never have enough chances to get back something you love, one way or another. I may have lost my treasure, but you can always get back yours. So, here you go, to you Sarah Jane Smith. Take care of him for me…._

_-Laila_

_P.S. The Doctor wanted me to tell you that he helped with the design, so you wouldn't think he played no part in it….I did 99.99% of the work by the way._

Sarah smiled, laughing a little at the last part, and then she folded the letter and placed it in her pocket, "Come on, you," she looked at K9, "Home. We've got work to do."

"Affirmative."

And they both headed on down the path, together.

S.S

This was one of those episodes where the ending almost made me cry, because you know, it's the Doctor. I would feel terrible if I had to say goodbye to him and then watch the TARDIS disappear before me, knowing I wasn't on the other side anymore.

Well, looks like the Doctor realized one thing about his 'feelings' regarding our resident Time Lady. Now, you'll see something else happen now that Mickey is on board. Of course, we all can tell that he has a problem with the man, but what will he do about it, and what will happen as a result of it? All I can say is that Laila won't be happy with a certain Time Lord in the end this time around, but he'll learn something about her as a result, so hey?

Two more reviews since the last chapter, keep them coming you guys! Whoo! Hehe…

Mionerocks: I didn't have a problem with her until I went back and rewatched the Series from the 9th Doctor to the 10th, and then I realized how awful she actually was. But I tried to deal with her, and then I got to Martha, who I like a lot better than Rose. I mean, Donna is my favorite character because she cared for the Doctor, and she was there for him as a friend and not because she loved/liked him, which was what he needed at the time. I also liked Martha, because of what she had to go through. She was basically Rose's replacement, and I felt for her during all of that. She also cared about the Doctor and taught him a few things along the way and even if she did like him, she wasn't possessive about it like Rose was. So she got a lot of brownie points for that, ha-ha. Yes, we'll be finding out about Laila's past soon. When? I'm not liable to tell you at this point ;) At that place in time we'll find out almost everything, from why she is the way she is, and exactly what Mr. Finch up there was talking about. But, until then, we'll learn bits and pieces of what surrounds it, not exactly touching down on it.

E-man-dy-S: Hi! Yes, her good does seem non-existent. It wasn't like that at the beginning, but once she began to realize her feelings for the Doctor, all of that just went bye-bye. Thank you, I'm happy that you like Laila.

TheGirlWhoWaited: Thank you!


	7. TGITFP: Gateway to France

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Girl in the Fireplace

Chapter 7: Gateway to France

* * *

The TARDIS materialized inside of a darkened room inside a stationary spaceship. The Doctor emerged from the box, followed by Laila, then Rose and Mickey. The quartet stopped to look around the room, but there wasn't much for the eyes to see.

"It's a spaceship!" Mickey grinned, "Brilliant, I got a spaceship on my first go!"

"Looks kind of abandoned," Rose commented, surprised, "Anyone on board?"

"Nah," the Doctor shook his head, "Nothing here. Well! Nothing dangerous. Well! Not that dangerous," he paused, "You know what, I'll just have a quick scan…in case there's anything dangerous."

She smirked at that as he walked over to a control panel in the center of the room, randomly tapping at a couple of buttons, "So, what's the date?" she asked, "How far are we gone?"

He opened his mouth to respond, only to close it and look at Laila instead, motioning for her to answer the question instead. Laila turned towards him, pointing to herself in a silent question. He nodded.

The Time Lady sighed before looking at Rose, "Um, right now, here, it's the year 5005, three thousand years into your future," she told her, "The 51st century."

The Doctor smiled at her, "Right!" he nodded. If he was going to help her, they might as well start now. He knew she was brilliant, genius perhaps, she'd proven that the first day…night….they met. This wasn't for that, no, it was more of a way for him to tell her it was okay for her to speak up if she knew something. That was the first step.

Rose stared at the woman for a minute, making no motion to thank her or otherwise. Her eyes wandered upwards as the lights in the room turned on, illuminating the view as the roof gradually opened into a window, revealing a marvelous view of the stars outside.

Laila turned her attention there as well, a small smile on her face. She loved to watch the stars as a child, and it quickly became a hobby of hers. She dropped her head as she remembered exactly why she stopped.

The Doctor eyed her with concern on his face. Then it faltered once he saw her glance over at Mickey, who had moved over to gaze out of a porthole, with a smile on her face. He briefly wondered if he was doing something wrong, what Mickey was doing that was so right that it just made her smile like that, a genuine smile, not the small, or tense ones he received from her. Not that he didn't them, that wasn't it, but….

He wanted a smile like that too.

He turned his head away from the scene, beginning to rummage around the control panel, picking up bits and pieces of broken objects and tech. He was severely unimpressed, there were better useless objects lying around the TARDIS, "Dear me, had some cowboys in here!" he remarked, "Got a ton of repair work going on," he threw down a couple of pieces before looking over, seeing a screen with a hologram of the spaceship on it. He stood and moved over to it, Rose, Mickey, and Laila joining him a second later, "Now that's odd, look at that," he pointed to it, "All the warp engines are going…full capacity!" he blinked, wide-eyed, "There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe…and we're not moving. So where's all that power going?"

Rose frowned, confused, "Where'd all the crew go?" she asked.

He leaned forwards and messed with a couple of knobs on the panel, "Good question," he said, "No life readings on board."

"Well, we're in deep space," she said, rolling her eyes, "They didn't just nip out for a quick fag."

"Nope," he shook his head, taking her sarcasm seriously, "Checked all the smoking pods," he paused, sniffing the air, "Can you smell that?"

Rose nodded, "Yeah," she sniffed, "Someone's cooking."

"Sunday roast, definitely!" Mickey grinned, breathing in the scent, then he looked at Laila, who was looking a little green for wear, "You ok?"

The Doctor looked at her as she nodded, taking in small but deep breathes, "Fine, I'm fine," she nodded, trying to smile, "Really, I'm…okay."

He furrowed his brow, continuing to stare at her, "If you need to go back to the TARDIS, or if we need to go somewhere else, we can," he told her.

She eyed him for a minute, a thoughtful look on her face before she chuckled, a first with her, "Not necessary," she smiled, "Don't wanna ruin the trip for Mickey here, it's his first, a treasurable moment indeed."

He nodded, turning back to the control panel. It was strange, but when she chuckled, it was like his hearts sped up for a minute then settled back down. He needed to stop, it wasn't…it wasn't right, not at all. They just met and here he was thinking about her all the time, feeling things he shouldn't (yet). It would be best to just push away all those thoughts and feelings, yeah, that was the best thing for right now. He swallowed, hopefully she couldn't tell what he felt or what his thoughts were, he didn't want to scare her away right when they just started.

Letting out a breath of air, he pressed down on a button on the panel. The group turned around, seeing a door open behind them. He walked through to see an 18th century decorated floor and wall, as well as a lit fireplace, "Well, that's something you don't see in your average spaceship," he commented, "Eighteenth century! French! Nice mantel," he pulled out the sonic and flashed it over the fireplace, "Not a hologram."

He bent down to examine it more closely, Laila standing nearby watching him silently while Mickey and Rose moved around to explore the rest of the room.

The Doctor looked at Laila, "Not even a reproduction," he remarked, "This actually is an eighteenth century French fireplace. Double-sided, there's another room through there."

Laila frowned, moving over to examine the furniture more closely.

"There can't be," Rose said, looking out through a porthole on the same side of the fireplace, "That's the outer hull of the ship, look."

The Doctor crouched down, looking through the fire into the other room, blinking in surprise at the young blonde girl staring back at him, "Hello!" he greeted. Laila raised an eyebrow before kneeling down next to him, seeing the young girl as well.

"Hello…." the young girl said slowly, unsure of the two apparently in her fireplace.

"What's your name?" the Doctor questioned.

"Reinette."

He nodded, "Reinette, that's a lovely name," he smiled, "Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?"

"In my bedroom," she narrowed her eyes slightly, suspicious now.

"And where's your bedroom?" he continued to question, "Where do you live, Reinette?"

"Paris, of course!"

"Paris!" he repeated, thoughtful now, "Of course!"

"Monsieur, what are you doing in my fireplace?" Reinette questioned. The Doctor turned his head to see Laila gone, having moved over to Mickey instead. He watched silently as the boy said something, making the Time Lady smile and laugh a bit. He bit his lip, turning back to Reinette. He didn't care, he _shouldn't_ care, he didn't care, he shouldn't care….

"Monsieur?"

He glanced up, seeing Reinette staring at him with a curious expression, "Oh!" he cleared his throat, "Sorry, um, it's just a routine…fire check. Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Of course I can!" she nodded, "1727."

"Right, lovely!" he smiled, "One of my favorites…August is rubbish though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night Night!"

"Goodnight Monsieur," Reinette nodded as the Doctor stood, thoughtful once more.

"You said this was the fifty-first century," Mickey said, turning towards him.

"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe, pay attention," he said, brushing the man off, "I think we just found the hole. Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink."

"What's that?"

"No idea," he shrugged, "Just made it up. Didn't wanna say 'magic door'."

"And on the other side of the," Rose dropped her voice down a few tones, "'magic door'" back to normal, "is France in 1727?"

The Doctor nodded, looking back at the fireplace before walking across the room, taking off his coat and throwing it in the corner, "Well, she was speaking French," he said, "Right period French, too."

"She was speaking English, I heard her!" Mickey argued and the Doctor shook his head, striding back over to the fireplace.

"That's the TARDIS translation ability," Laila explained to the boy, "You can basically understand any language, also to the other speaker it's like your speaking their language."

"Woah," he grinned, "That's pretty cool."

She nodded. It was, well for some people. Being Time Lords gave her and the Doctor the advantage of being able to speak any language without the help of the TARDIS translator.

"Gotcha!"

She, Rose, and Mickey turned to see fireplace beginning to rotate around, taking the Doctor with it to the other side. Laila stared, wide-eyed.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted.

S.S

Once the fireplace circled around, the Doctor's eyes wandered around to see that he was in some sort of dark and shadowy bedroom, a young Reinette sleeping in her bed. He moved over towards the window quietly, as to not wake her up. He peered out the window to see the Paris skyline, snow falling down from the heavens.

Suddenly a horse neighed loudly, waking up Reinette. She sat up and nearly screamed seeing the Doctor's dark shadow standing by her window.

"It's okay!" he held up his hands, "Don't scream! It's me, it's the fireplace man. Look," he walked over to her bedside, lighting up a candle with the sonic. She continued to stare at him, startled, "We were talking, just a moment ago. I was in your fireplace."

"Monsieur, that was weeks ago," she told him, "That was months!"

He looked at her, "Really?" he said, surprise registering on his face, "Oh," he moved back over to the fireplace and knocked on it, listening to the sound produced, "Must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in."

"Who are you?" she asked, "And what are you doing here?"

The Doctor didn't reply, instead his focus was on the clock on the mantel, a slightly fearful look crossing his features as a ticking sound echoed around the room, "Okay, that's scary…." he mumbled.

Reinette raised an eyebrow, "You're scared of a broken clock?"

"Just a bit scared, yeah," he nodded, "Just a tiny bit. 'Cause you see, if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room…." he paused, turning back to Reinette, "Then what's that?"

The ticking grew louder and Reinette looked around, frightful. The Doctor barely moved from his spot, speaking slowly and quietly, "'Cause you see that's not a clock," he continued, "You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. Size of a man."

Reinette looked at him, "What is it?" she asked, watching as he checked behind the curtains, seeing nothing there.

"Now, let's think," he said quickly, "If you were a thing that ticks and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do: break the clock. No on notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two?" he glanced around, "You might wonder if you're really alone," he slowly crept towards the bed, crouching down, "Stay on the bed. Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge."

He peered under the bed before turning on the sonic, flashing it under the bed….when something smacked him backwards, knocking the screwdriver out of his hand. Reinette gasped and the Doctor scrambled back to look beneath the mattress, seeing the feet of something standing on the other side.

"Reinette," he whispered, "Don't look around. You are to stay exactly where you are," he stood to his feet to see an aristocratic French figure, wearing a clown-like mask, leering down at Reinette. He glanced at the young girl, then at the creature, then back at Reinette, frowning, "Hold still, let me look…." he leaned over and grasped Reinette's head between his hands, staring her in the eye, then at the figure, "You've been scanning her brain!" back at Reinette, then he stood up straight, "What, you've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?"

"I don't understand," Reinette spoke, "It wants me?!" she looked around at the figure, "You want me?"

The creature's head twitched to the side, "Not yet," it said in a mechanical voice, "You are incomplete."

"'Incomplete'?" the Doctor frowned, "What's that mean, 'incomplete'?"

The droid didn't respond to him, but continued to stare at Reinette. The Doctor narrowed his eyes, pointing the sonic at the robot threateningly, "You can answer her, you can answer me. What do you mean, 'incomplete'?" he repeated.

The drone still didn't answer him, instead walked in jerky movements around the bed to face the Time Lord, extending its arm, a menacing-looking blade sliding out near his face. He tilted his head away.

"Monsieur, be careful!" Reinette cried.

"Just a nightmare, Reinette, don't worry about it," he said comfortingly, "Everyone has nightmares," he jumped back as the droid try to swipe at him again, continuing until he reached the fireplace, "Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares, don't you, monster?"

The droid swung its arm just as the Doctor jumped to the side, resulting in the blade getting lodged in the mantel.

"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette wondered.

As robot struggled to free itself, the Doctor took the extra time to turn the fireplace back around to the other side, "Me, ha!" he laughed. Reinette smiled as the two disappeared from her view.

S.S

"Doctor!" Rose called, turning to see the fireplace turning back around, the Time Lord, plus the droid back on their side. The Doctor ran and grabbed a gun-like object from the opposite wall, using it to spray ice at the droid. It convulsed in one last attempt to free itself before freezing over completely.

"Excellent," Mickey nodded, "Ice gun!"

"Fire extinguisher," the Doctor corrected, calmly throwing it to Rose, who caught it in her arms.

"Where did that thing come from?" she asked.

"Here," he answered.

"So why is it dressed like that?" Mickey asked.

"Field trip to France, some kind of basic camouflage protocol…" he said, "Nice needlework! Shame about the face," he sauntered back over to the creature, pulling off the wig to reveal an ornate clockwork mechanism, covered with a clear plastic egg shape, "Oh, you are beautiful!"

Laila, from her spot on the wall, moved over to look at the bot as well, "That's interesting…." she mumbled, making him look at her, "It has an um…hyperspatial gravivise enabler…."

"What is that?" Mickey asked, curiously.

She looked back at him, "It allows you to transport willingly from one time line to another, but there's only enough room for one to do so. If a whole bunch were to as well...hmm….that's how they created that link," she motioned towards the fireplace, "The dangerous thing about it is that it puts…holes, for simpler terms…in the space time continuum, which means it'll take something big to close it them all…" she looked around to see the others staring at her, "Sorry," she smiled sheepishly, "I'm a techno-geek."

"No, no," the Doctor shook his head, staring at her, "That was brilliant, really."

Laila turned back to him and stared back at him for a minute, a second longer than Rose was pleased with, "Thank you…" she said quietly, sending him a soft but sincere smile.

He smiled back before looking at the droid, "Gorgeous," he remarked, "Look at that! Space age clockwork, I love it! I've got chills! Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart…and, by the way, count those…it would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you," he eyed the robot wistfully as he held up the sonic, "But that won't stop me."

Suddenly the droid creaked back to life and teleported away. Rose and Mickey blinked and looked around for it while the Doctor stuffed the sonic back into his pocket, disappointed, before walking swiftly back to the fireplace, preparing to go back to the other side, "Short range teleport," he said, "Can't have got far. Could still be on board…"

"What is it?" Rose asked.

He pointed warningly at Rose and Mickey, "Don't go looking for it!" he advised them.

"Where're you going?" she frowned.

"Back in a sec," he turned the fireplace, returning to the other end. Rose looked down at the fire extinguisher in her hand, weighing it up in her hands.

Mickey looked at her, realizing what she was planning, "He said not to look for it…"

"Yeah, he did," she said, mock-seriously.

They stared at each other for a few moments, before Mickey smiled and grabbed the other fire extinguisher on the wall. Laila looked between the two, opening her mouth….

"Now you're getting it!" she laughed, then looked at Laila who was staring at them, "What? Oh, is little miss innocent gonna tell on us?" she laughed even harder before frowning, "Look I know your game, and it's not funny, it's just sad. It's only a matter of time before the Doctor sees that too," she swiftly turned on her heel and walked off, then she paused and looked back, "You're not all that useful either, I don't understand why he keeps you. You just stand 'round all day, doing nothing," she shook her head, "Maybe he just pities you…" she whipped around, a smirk on her face, as she walked on.

Mickey looked at Laila, who was staring at the wall, "She…."

"Don't," the Time Lady shook her head, "Just don't…."

He stared at her in concern, then back down to where Rose was waiting for him impatiently. He sighed, taking one last glance at Laila, before heading off after Rose. Laila watched as the two disappeared around the corner, and then she made her way off down the hall, not turning back.

S.S

Seems like the Doctor is in deniaaalll…this will lead to something happening in Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel that might Laila believe what Rose says is true, which will lead to something else that I'm not going to tell you at this point in time ;)

Review time, only one this time, but that's okay

Mionerocks: Thank you, I do try to make these chapters good.


	8. TGITFP: Madame de Pompadour

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Girl in the Fireplace

Chapter 8: Madame de Pompadour

* * *

The Doctor stepped off the fireplace in a plush bedroom of red and gold, "Reinette…." he called, "Just checking you're okay…" his hand idly brushed against the strings of the harp in the room. A young woman waltzed into the room, pausing upon seeing him standing there. She cleared her throat, gaining his attention.

"Oh!" he turned to face her, "Hello!" he smiled, "Um, I was just looking for Reinette. Uh, this is still her room, isn't it? I've been away, not sure how long."

"Reinette!" a feminine voice called from outside the room, "We're ready to go!"

"Go to the carriage, mother," Reinette called back, "I will join you there."

The Doctor stared at the woman, wide-eyed in realization as the young lady looked back at him, "It is customary, I think, to have an imaginary friend only during one's childhood," she began, eyeing him, "You are to be congratulated on your persistence."

"Reinette…!" he smiled at her, "Goodness, how you've grown."

She walked a little closer to him, "And you do not appear to have aged a single day," she noted, "That is tremendously impolite of you."

"Right….yes…sorry," he cleared his throat, an uncomfortable feeling rising in his chest and stomach, "Um…umm…listen, lovely to catch but er, better be off, eh? Don't want your mother finding you up here with a strange man, do we?"

"Strange?" she raised an eyebrow, "How could you be a stranger to me? I have known you since I was seven years old."

"Yeah….I suppose you have," he nodded, eyeing her carefully as she came nearer, almost touching his face, "I came the quick route."

Reinette raised her hand to his cheek, examining him. His eyes widened and his hand itched as his side, a rather odd feeling rising in him. He knew what she was doing or what she wanted to do, he could see it in her eyes, the way she was looking at him. She was a beautiful young lady, and any man should be grateful to have her, but….she felt wrong for him. Her hand on his cheek, wrong, her slightly seductive movements, wrong, it was all wrong….

All he wanted to do was push her away and run as far from her as possible, but that would be rude wouldn't it be?

"Well," Reinette continued, oblivious to his inner turmoil, "You seem to be flesh and blood, at any rate, but this is absurd. Reason tells me that you cannot be real."

He shook his head, laughing tensely, "Oh," he scoffed, "You never want to listen to reason…."

"Mademoiselle!" a servant shouted from down the hall, "Your mother grows impatient."

"A moment!" she called back, irate at the interruption. Then she looked back at the Doctor, smirking a little, "So many questions….so little time…." she lunged forwards and landed one kiss on his lips, before she was pulled around, now with her back to the mantel. The Doctor stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Why…w…why would you….?" he stuttered, "I'm sorry."

"What for?" she wondered, frowning, "I don't believe I understand. Do you look at me and not feel a thing?"

He tried to smile, "Just a few moments ago, to me, you were just a little girl," he shook his head, "You are beautiful, yes you are, but I…"

"Is there someone else you're committed to?"

He bit his lip, "No."

"Then what is the bigger problem?" she asked, "I show you my affections, to the man I have known since I was a child, who has known me in return, but you don't return those feelings…do you?"

"I'm sorry," he backed up, "I really am."

"Mademoiselle Poisson!" the servant called once more, closer to their location. Reinette eyed the Doctor for a minute, and then she moved around him and towards the door. The Time Lord watched her, various emotions running through him, guilt being one of them. What reason did he have to feel guilty? Other than turning down a pretty lady, hurting her in the process.

He halted in his thoughts, something the servant said coming back to him, "Poisson?" he repeated, "Reinette Poisson?" he looked up at the servant in the room, "No…no, no, no, no, no way, Reinette Poisson?!" he ran up to the manservant, "Later Madame Etoiles? Later still mistress of Louis the Fifteenth, uncrowned Queen of France?" back to the fireplace, "Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan? Fantastic gardener!" he laughed, gleeful.

"Who the hell are you?!" the servant asked.

"I'm the Doctor," he introduced, "And I almost snogged Madame de Pompadour," the fireplace revolved around again, taking him with it as he laughed manically. He stepped back onto the ship, "Laila!" he looked around, seeing no one, "Rose? Mickey?" he frowned, "Every time, every time, it's rule one…Don't wander off! I tell them, I do, rule one! There could be anything on this ship!"

There could be anything on his ship, including those droids. At that thought, he quickly made his way around a corner, stopping in his tracks when he saw a white horse, horse, loitering in the middle of the corridor. He blinked, a little shocked as the horse whinnied.

S.S

Leila made her way back to the TARDIS, wiping her eyes as she opened the door, taking no notice to that it was previously locked. She walked up the stairs, moving to sit on the captain's seat. Curling her legs up to her chin, she thought about what Rose had said.

Even though the thought hurt, that the Doctor brought her along out of pity, she couldn't help but make sense out of it. She suppose the whole 'she's the last Time Lady, he's the last Time Lord' situation helped along in that, if it was true…hopefully the opposite. She looked down at her hand, a faint, blue, symbol appearing on it before it faded away.

She swallowed. She was a freak.

S.S

Mickey glanced furtively down the hall, holding one of the fire extinguishers in his hand, dropping and rolling in an Indiana Jones sort of style. He carried on the same way until he reached a surveillance camera. It moved towards him and blinked, "Are you looking at me?" he questioned, and then he jumped backwards with a squeak of alarm, seeing that the camera was actually an eyeball, a _human_ eyeball.

Rose walked over to him and he pointed to it, "Look at this," they both stared at the eye-camera, "That's an eye in there. That's a real eye," they watched as it retreated back into the wall. A small thumping sound echoed nearby, making them turn around. Rose bent over to a small circular cover in the bulkhead, trying to pull it away only to get scalded. She tried again and it opened to reveal a human heart with wires and pipes sticking out of it into the ship walls.

"What is that?" Mickey questioned, eying it, "What's that in the middle there?" he pointed to it, "It's like it's wired in."

"That's a heart, Mickey…" she told him, disgusted, "…that's a human heart."

S.S

The Doctor crossed an intersection of corridors, a lost, irate, and worried expression on his face, "Laila? Rose?" he called out. Behind him the horse neighed and he turned around to look at it, "Will you stop following m? I'm not your mother!"

The animal just nosed him. He sighed and moved away, spotting a set of white French double doors. He walked over to them and opened them, "So this is where you came from, eh, horsey?" he said before walking through the doors and into a grassy courtyard. He looked around, pausing once seeing a familiar figure walking past.

"Oh, Catherine, you are too wicked!" Reinette laughed, and then she turned around. She could've sworn that she saw….

"Oh, speaking of wicked," Catherine said, "I hear Madame de Chatenuex is ill and close to death."

Reinette turned her attention to her friend, listening intently. The Doctor's head poked out from behind the pillar and he stood, leaning on the wall, watching the two ladies converse.

"Every woman in Paris knows your ambitions," Catherine continued.

"Everyone woman in Paris shares them," Reinette countered, making the woman chuckle.

"You know of course that the Kind is to attend the Yew Tree ball?"

The Doctor smiled a little at that, and then frowned, remembering what he was supposed to be doing, who he was leaving on the ship, vulnerable to anything. He turned and rushed back into the ship, closing the door behind him.

S.S

Rose and Mickey made their way down the hall with their fire extinguishers at hand, looking around as the cameras watched them pass by, "Maybe it wasn't a real heart," Mickey spoke.

"Course it was a real heart," Rose said.

"Is this like normal for you?" he questioned, looking around, "Is this an average day?"

Rose looked at him, "Life with the Doctor, Mickey…no more average days," was all she said. They stopped in front of a window with a view of a luxurious 18th century French room.

"It's France again," he said, "We can see France."

"I think we're looking through a mirror."

The door in the room opened and a highly-dressed man entered with two servants, "Blimey," Mickey blinked, "Look at this guy. Who does he think he is?"

"King of France."

Rose whipped around, seeing the Doctor standing there, "Oh, here's trouble," she smirked, "What you been up to?"

"Oh," he shrugged, "This and that. Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat…picked a fight with a clockwork man…." the horse whinnied from around the corner, "Oh, and I met a horse."

Rose and Mickey looked on as the horse trotted into view, "What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey asked.

"Mickey," he looked at the boy, "What's a pre-Revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective," he smiled, "But that's not the question I want to talk about."

Rose blinked, "Then what is?"

"Where's Laila, hm?" he looked around, "I don't see her," he looked at the two, a hard look in his eyes, "Don't tell me you let her go off by herself, on a spaceship that has who-knows-what on it?" he smile tensely, "She may be a Time Lady, and could probably take care of herself, but someone needs to look after her…" that was more to himself than them.

Mickey opened his mouth to say something when Rose intervened, "Um, she wasn't feeling well, yeah," she nodded, "Went back to the TARDIS, told us to tell you that when you got back."

The Doctor's brow furrowed, a worried look immediately replacing his angry one, "Is she alright?" he asked, "Did she tell you what was wrong with her?"

Rose frowned a little at his quick mood change, and internally scowled at his apparent concern for the Time Lady, "Um…"

"I had a headache."

They turned to see the woman in question walk up to them, a blank look on her face, "It hurt, so I went to go lay down and um…then it went away," she eyed the Doctor, "Are you alright?"

He blinked, "Yeah, yeah," he nodded, "Why d'you ask?"

She shrugged, turning towards the window, "You looked like a deer caught in the headlights for a moment," she smiled a little, "What have you been up to….?" she looked at him, mock-suspiciously.

"N…nothing," he stumbled, shaking his head, "Just regular stuff…."

She stared at him for a moment, a slightly confused look on her face, and then she turned back towards the window, seeing Reinette enter into the room, "Madame de Pompadour," she mumbled, "I thought so when I saw her earlier."

"Who?" Mickey raised an eyebrow.

"Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson," the Doctor explained, "Known to her friends as Reinette. One of the most accomplished women who ever lived."

"So has she got plans of being the Queen, then?" Rose asked.

"No, he's already got a queen," he stated, "She's got plans of being his mistress."

"Oh, I get it," she nodded, "Camilla."

She and Mickey shared a laugh.

"I think this is the night they met," he continued, "The night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace…even her own title, Madame de Pompadour."

They watched Reinette as she preened herself in the mirror, ignorant to her audience, "Queen must've loved her…." Rose remarked.

"Oh, she did," he nodded, "They get on very well."

"The Kings wife and the King's girlfriend?" Mickey raised an eyebrow.

"France. It's a different planet."

"Do you hear that?" Laila spoke, listening intently. A faint ticking noise was emitting from the room/window. The Doctor frowned, recognizing it immediately.

S.S

Reinette turned, hearing the ticking clicking as well, her eyes wide with fear, "How long have you been standing there?" she asked, looking at the figure standing in the corner of the room, facing the wall, "Show yourself!"

It turned around and revealed itself to be on the clockwork droids and started to advance, Reinette walking backwards slowly away from it.

S.S

The Doctor grabbed the fire extinguisher from Mickey and swung the mirror around, stepping back into the other room, "Hello, Reinette," he smiled at her, apologetic, "Hasn't time flown?"

She was a nice woman, someone he could be friends with. He didn't want to ruin that because he didn't return any of the feelings she might have for him.

"Fireplace man!" her eyes widened even more, stunned.

He stepped past her and sprayed her with the fire extinguisher until it was immobile, jerking just like the last in order to free itself. Mickey caught the extinguisher as the Doctor threw it to him. Behind them the droid started to click and whirr.

"What's it doing?" Mickey asked.

"Turning back on," Laila looked at him.

"And then what?"

"Then it kills everyone in the room," the Doctor said, stumbling backwards as he was pulled from behind just as the droid's arm shot out towards his throat, the metal slicer pointing at him. His eyes wandered to Laila, who was holding onto the back of his shirt, an odd look in her eyes. He couldn't pin-point it, and he wasn't 100% sure, but she looked almost frightened…even a little angry.

She looked up at him, all traces of the emotions gone, "You…should be more careful," she mumbled, letting go of his shirt.

He stared back at her, "Yeah," he nodded, then shook his head, "Um," he glanced at everyone else, "Focuses the mind, doesn't it?" he looked at the clockwork robot, "Who are you? Identify yourself."

The droid cocked its head but didn't answer, so he faced Reinette, speaking directly to her, "Order it to answer me."

She frowned, "Why should it listen to me?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said, "It did when you were a child. Let's see if you've still got it."

She looked between him and the droid, then stood straight, "Answer his question," she ordered, "Answer any and all questions put to you."

The droid lowered its arm, "I am repair droid seven," it introduced.

"So what happened to the ship, then?" the Doctor asked, looking at it, "There was a lot of damage."

"Ion storm," it explained, "Eighty two percent systems failure."

"That ship hasn't moved in over a year," he said, "What's taken you so long?"

"We did not have the parts."

"Always comes down to that, doesn't it?" Mickey laughed, "The parts."

"What's happened to the crew, where are they?" he continued to question.

"We did not have the parts."

"There should have been over fifty people on your ship," he persisted, "Where did they go?"

"Doctor," Laila said quietly, holding onto her stomach, a sick feeling rising in her, "They didn't have the parts, what else could they use?"

He looked at her, frowning seeing her face turn a sickly shade of green. A part of him wanted to reach over and check to see if she was alright, maybe even take her back to the TARDIS for a checkup, but that was a little extreme, so he just settled on raising his eyebrow in a silent question. She nodded, smiling a little at him.

She never could stand the smell of meat, especially when it was human meat. She was always able to tell the difference, for some reason, and that made it all the worse for her. The thought that a man or woman, or even a child, was being cooked, burned alive, for something as trivial as getting parts for a ship…well it slightly angered her.

"You didn't have the parts," the Doctor said, realization dawning on him, "So you used the crew," he glanced back at Laila to see her standing straight, though her face was still a little green.

"The crew?" Mickey raised an eyebrow, also looking at the Time Lady in concern. She seemed to care for him, which meant a lot to him, considering he just met her 3,000 years ago yesterday, so it only seemed fair that he show some concern back. But he _was_ actually worried about her. He could see that the Doctor was too, and that was fine, but it almost seemed like the man was trying to keep him away from the woman. He probably didn't know, or did know, whatever the case was he saw the glares the Time Lord sent his way whenever he was around the Time Lady. It…amused him in a way, but also frightened him a little. The Doctor could be scary when he wanted to be.

He didn't understand that though. If he was protective of Laila, why would that be? They only just met…but Rose did tell him that Laila was the last Time Lady apparently, so that could be a reason. Only he didn't act friend-like protective, no this was sort of a jealous-like protective that you reserve only for those you _really_ care for, like a mother, or a lover. Laila definitely wasn't the man's mother, so it had to be the other option. But then again the question still was, why? They only just met! The man couldn't be falling for her already….could he?

He suppose there was such thing as love at first sight, he himself experienced it with Rose. From the moment he met her he felt like she was the one for him….it was only after she met the Doctor that he realized it was one-sided, and he didn't want to admit that. It just hurt too much to think about it.

"We found a camera with an eye in it," Rose said, knocking him from his thoughts, "…and there was a heart…wired into the machinery."

"It was just what it was programmed to," the Doctor said, "Repairing the ship any way it can, with whatever it could find. No-one told it the crew weren't on the menu. What did you say the flight deck smelt of?"

"Someone cooking…."

"Flesh plus heat," he said, "Barbeque."

Reinette blinked, looking slightly sick like Laila had been.

"But what are you doing here?" he went on, looking at the droid, "You've opened up time windows, that takes colossal energy. Why come here, you could have gone to your repair yard. Instead you come to eighteenth century France? Why?"

"One more part is required," the droid simply said, jerking it's head towards Reinette. The others looked at the woman, curiously.

"Then why haven't you taken it?"

"She is incomplete."

"What….so, that's the plan then?" he shook his head, "Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's 'done yet'?"

"Why her?" Rose asked, surprising the Time Lord, "You've got all of history to choose from, why specifically her?"

"We are the same," the droid said.

"We are not the same, we are in no sense the same!" Reinette defended herself, outraged.

"We are the same," it repeated.

"Get out of here!" she ordered, "Get out of here this instance!"

"Reinette, no," the Doctor called just as the droid teleported out, "It's back on the ship. Rose, take Mickey and Arthur, get after it. Follow it, don't approach it, just watch what it does."

"Arthur?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Good name for a horse."

"No," she shook her head, "You're not keeping the horse!"

"I let you keep Mickey!" he said, "No go, go, go!"

Mickey turned around, "What about…?" he nodded at Laila.

He looked at the man, "What does it matter to you?" he asked.

Laila rolled her eyes before stepping between the two men, "I'll be fine," she looked at Mickey, a small smile on her face, "Go, be a hero."

Mickey nodded, beaming a little at the 'hero' part, and ran out back into the ship. Laila turned to the Doctor, a strange look on her face, "Why are you so mean to him?" she asked, frowning at the thought of it, "No, never mind, don't want to know….what do you want me to do?"

The Doctor stared at her, "Er," he blinked, "Just um, stand watch will you? Keep an eye out for any servants or people coming close."

She nodded and walked over to the door, looking both ways before turning the corner, heading down the hall. He watched her for a moment before looking at Reinette, "Reinette," he said, "You're gonna have to trust me…"

S.S

Seems that Mickey is picking up on the negative signals' coming from the Doctor towards him, tsk, tsk, that is not going to fare well on the Doctor's part. You'll see in Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel what'll happen.

I know some people wanted me to have Mickey tell the Doctor what Rose said, but you know how he is in regards to that girl. He's head over heels, though not so much anymore, is he? Anywho, the Doctor will find out what Rose said to Laila in a later episode, but I'm not sure if I want to show the scene where he finds out or to just skip ahead to where he confronts Rose on it, which by the way probably won't go exactly the way you all might want it to….

I never liked the kissing scene in this episode, felt it was little too much, especially with the Doctor kissing her back a little. I really couldn't picture that happening on the show, but it did. Here I wanted to do a little something different. It's a little obvious why the Doctor didn't kiss her back here, other than me not liking it, but there's another reason what will play a major part in what I told you guys earlier. How he'll do something that'll make Laila start to believe in what Rose said. Here she's confused, but there she might just believe it.

Four reviews, thanks you guys! You're the best!

Mionerocks: I don't know about her being that (hehe) and you might get your wish when they come back in Season 4. He could be one of the people to talk to her about her attitude towards Laila.

Dark Lord of All: Welcome to the story! Well, sorry, that wasn't going to happen (we all know how Mickey feels about Rose). You've probably already read this above, but the Doctor will be finding out about what she said to Laila and he will confront her own it. I will tell you this, it is around the time that a lot of things are going to come into place –hint, hint-

Grapejuice101: Thank you, I'm glad you like it. Eh, I wouldn't take it that far (mostly because I don't cuss).

Guest: Man, all you people must have the same mindset or something (hash). Well, I'm sure that a lot of people want to smack her in the face, including me at times. You'll be getting your wish! He will find out and he will confront her own it, but like I said, it might not end the way you all want it to ;)


	9. TGITFP: A Broken Path

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Girl in the Fireplace

Chapter 9: A Broken Path

* * *

"Reinette," the Doctor said, turning to her, "You're gonna gave to trust me," he moved closer to her, "I need to find out what they're looking for, there's only one way I can do that. Won't hurt a bit."

Reinette nodded her head and he gently placed his fingers on her temples, closing his eyes. She closed her eyes as well, expectantly, "Fireplace man…" she said after a moment, "You are inside my mind."

"Oh dear, Reinette," he remarked, "You've had some cowboys in here."

"You are in my memories," she continued, "You walk among them."

"If there's anything you don't want me to see, just imagine a door and close it," he told her, "I won't look. Ooh…actually…there's a door just there," she opened her eyes and grinned slyly, "You might want to clo…ooh. Actually, several."

"To walk among the memories of another living soul," she stated, "Do you ever get used to this?"

"I don't make a habit of it."

"How can you resist?"

"What age are you?" he asked, not answering her question.

"So impertinent a question so early in the conversation," she smirked, "How promising."

The Doctor frowned at that, the uncomfortable feeling rising in him once again. Obviously it was going to take more than just telling her he wasn't interested in her for her to see well…just that, he wasn't _interested_ in her. He actually felt content with his love life, oddly enough. He was single and he often had thoughts of wanting someone to spend his life with, but of course, he couldn't fulfill that wish. There was Laila, but that idea could immediately be thrown out the window.

First all there was the issue of them having first met, which made his thoughts and the idea strange. Secondly and most importantly, while she seemed understanding of his actions in the War, there was no doubt in his mind that somewhere she had to resent him for them. Even if she didn't get along with her family, they were still her family and he killed them indirectly. He couldn't imagine her feeling _that_ way for him, not after what he did to their people.

He clenched his eyes shut, trying to ignore the slight pain in his chest. He sighed and opened them back up, seeing Reinette looking at him, "Oh, um," he shook his head, "Not my question…theirs. You're twenty-three and for some reason, that means you're not old enough."

Reinette flinched.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized, "You might find old memories reawakening. Side effect."

"Oh, such a lonely childhood…" she murmured.

"It'll pass," he assured her, "Stay with me."

"Oh, Doctor," she frowned, "So lonely. So very, very alone…"

He froze at that, "What do you mean, alone? You've never been alone in your life…" his eyes snapped open and he stared at her, stunned, "When did you start calling me 'Doctor'?"

"Such a lonely little boy. Lonely then and lonelier now," she opened her eyes, "I now know why you've chosen to push me away…"

"I…I don't know what you're talking about," he told her, backing up a little. It felt like he'd been completely exposed, that he was standing naked before the crowed as they all pointed and judged him.

"No, but I know you will," she continued, "One day you will."

"How did you do that?"

"A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction…." she said, "Oh, Doctor, such a Lonely God. Dance with me."

He frowned and back away more, "I can't," he warned her.

"Are you positive?" she smirked, knowing exactly what he was feeling on the inside. She saw it in his mind, but he hadn't realized that the door was already opened. He kept walking past it to and fro, never stopping, never noticing. But she felt one of these days he would look over and there it would be, and he'd walk through it.

Then the penny would finally drop.

"Yes," he told her, his jaw tensing a bit, "This is the night you dance with the King."

She just smiled at him and turned her head slightly to see the woman, Laila she believed was her name, quickly turn her head as soon as she did so. A sly grin made its way to her face, "Then first, I shall make him jealous," she told the Doctor, watching as he back up some more from her.

"I…won't," he shook his head feverously, "I can't and I won't."

"Doctor…." she feigned sadness, "Doctor Who?" she eyed him for a minute, "It's more than just a secret, isn't it?"

He stared at her, "What did you see?"

"That there comes a time, Time Lord," she smiled, "When every lonely little boy must learn how to dance," she reached over and took his hand, leading him away despite his protest along the way. Laila followed behind them, confused and even a little amused when the Doctor asked her for help. She noted the small smile on his face when she chuckled at his attempts to get away from Reinette.

S.S

Rose slowly opened her eyelids, her vision blurred. She looked around for a moment, hearing a loud ticking sound emitting from nearby, and her almost focused eyes landed on one of the clockwork droids. She almost jumped back, if she could that is, "What's going on?" she asked frantically, "Doctor?"

She looked around her to see that she had been manacled to an operation table, tilted like in the movies. A short ways away, Mickey was in the same troublesome spot, "Rose?" he called, seeing her awake, "They're gonna chop us up. Just like the crew…they're gonna chop us up and stick us all over their stupid spaceship. And where's the Doctor and Laila? They've been gone for flipping hours!"

He swallowed, taking a deep breath. It was odd, even though he was panicking on the outside, he felt at peace on the inside. It was like there was a hand reaching down to him, telling him it would be okay, that he wouldn't be harmed.

A droid stepped before Rose, looking at her closely, "You are compatible," it told her.

"Well…." she stumbled, "You…you might wanna think about that. You really, really might because…me and Mickey…we didn't come here alone, oh no! And trust me…you wouldn't wanna mess with our designated driver."

"Yeah," Mickey nodded, "Neither of them."

Rose scoffed under her breath at that, though Mickey heard it still and frowned a little. He could see from his own eyes that Laila was a kind and sweet person, who honestly he was sure wouldn't hurt a fly. She just seemed that nice! But of course he didn't know her that well, so that was only an assumption that he was sure was right on the nose.

The whole Rose jealousy thing was a little fine back at the school. He knew that she and the Doctor were close and when the Time Lady came along she thought things wouldn't be the same. Then Sarah boarded the train and it was twice as much of a problem for her. But it bothered him a little that she could give Sarah a chance but not Laila.

"Ever heard of the Daleks?" Rose continued, "Remember them? They had a name for our friend. They had myths about him, and a name. They called him the…" she trailed as a loud banging noise echoed in the distance.

"I could've danced all night, I could've danced all night…." they heard the Doctor sing, and off-key for that matter.

"They called him the…" she said, distractedly, "They called him the….the…"

At that moment the Doctor staggered into the room with a pair of sunglasses and a tie around his head, laughing and dancing with Laila, who could only roll her eyes at his antics, though she smiling as well, "And still have begged for moooore…." he sang, "…I could've spread my winds done a thou…" he turned, seeing Rose and Mickey, "Have you met the French?"

Laila's eyes wandered over to them as well and her eyes widened. She let go of the Doctor's hand, not noticing his slightly pout and glower when she moved over to Mickey, making sure was alright.

"My….GOD, they know how to party," the Doctor continued.

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in," Rose said sarcastically, not really irate at their arrival, but more so at the way they entered, "The Oncoming Storm."

"Oh," he looked at her, frowning, "You sound just like your mother."

"What've you been doing?" she asked, "Where've you been?!"

"Well…among other things, I think I just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early."

Mickey glanced at Laila who could only shake her head. It had been a long, long, couple of hours.

"Do you know, they've never seen a banana before!" he went on, trying not to look in Mickey and Laila's direction, "Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are GOOD."

"I love bananas," Laila remarked, "I believe there are some in the TARDIS kitchen. You two," she looked at Rose then back to Mickey, "should have one when we get back. It'll help regain your energy."

"Well, I think I'll take you up on that offer," Mickey nodded. He was feeling a bit of an energy drain. And now that he thought about it, the way the Doctor was currently trying hard not to look at them, even though he was glaring at the floor, he found it amusing. He was always the one to be made fun of, now it was the Time Lord's turn.

The Doctor turned his attention from the ground to see the droids, "Oh ho, ho, ho, ho, brilliant!" he continued his drunken-act, "It's you! You're my favorite, you are, you are the best! Do you know why? 'Cause you're THICK. You're Mister Thick Thick Thickity Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania," he looked away, then looked back, "And so's your dad."

He wandered over to the others, "Do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for?" he chuckled, "Her milometer. They wanna know how old she is. Know why? 'Cause this ship is thirty-seven years old. And they think that when Reinette is thirty-seven, when she's 'complete', then her brain will be compatible. So, that's what you're missing, isn't it," he whipped around and stared one of the droids in the face, "Hmm? Command circuit. Your computer. You ship needs a brain. And for some reason…God knows what…only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do."

"The brain is compatible," the droid said.

"If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine," he swiftly removed the droid's mask and poured the liquid into the clockwork head, then replaced the wig and patted it on the head. Rose sighed in relief when the droid wound down, "Multigrain anti-oil. If it moves, it doesn't."

A droid from the corner began to advance on them, but he was quick on his feet and deactivated it by using a nearby lever, "Right, you two, that's enough lying about…." he raised the sonic to Rose's table, then to Mickey's where both noticed he seemed to hesitate for a minute, something flashing in his eyes before he unlocked the manacles, releasing the boy as well, "Time we got the rest of the ship turned off."

"Are those things safe?" Rose asked.

"Yep," he nodded, pulling his tie down and pushing the glasses up, "Safe. Safe and thick. Way I like them. Okay, all the time windows are controlled from here I need to close them all down," he felt around in his pockets, "Zeus plugs. Where are my Zeus plugs?"

"Castanets," Laila looked at him.

He nodded, remembering, "Right…."

"Why did they just open a time window to when she was thirty-seven?"

"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they'll be lucky to hit the right century," he explained, 'Trial and error after that," he moved over to the computer and tried to access the information, "The windows aren't closing. Why won't they close?"

"Something's interfering with the connection," Laila said quietly and thoughtfully, "There's a foot in the door…"

"A foot in the door?" Mickey raised an eyebrow, "What does that mean?"

She opened her mouth to explain when an ominous pinging sound reached their ears, "What's that?" Rose asked.

"I don't know…" the Doctor said, "…incoming message?"

"From who?" Mickey questioned.

"Report from the field…one of them must still be out there with Reinette!" he looked at Laila, "Brilliant," she looked at him, "I…I mean…how you figured that out that is…um…" he looked at the humans, "That's why I can't close the windows, there's an override!"

Behind him, one of the droids sprung to life with leaving a whirring sound in its wake. Rose gasped as it expelled the oil onto the floor over the Doctor's shoe. The Time Lord looked down then back up, "Well, that was a bit clever."

The rest of the robots came to life at that moment, filling the room with ticking. The Doctor pulled Laila behind him, oblivious to his own actions. Rose narrowed her eyes at the woman, seeing the protective gesture as a result of something she did. The thought that the Doctor did it out of his own will didn't cross her mind.

"Right," the Doctor nodded, "…many things about this are not good," another ping sounded again, "Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?"

"She is complete," the droid announced, "It begins."

They all teleported out, leaving the gang standing in the room, half-confused and half-worried, "What's happening?" Rose inquired.

"One of them must've found the right time window," the Doctor explained, "And now it's time to send in the troops. And this time they're bringing back her head."

S.S

Reinette stood by her window, looking out at the darkening sky. A shadow passed over the shaft of light flooding into the room through the doorway as someone slowly approached her, the drumming of their feet as they got closer startling her. She turned around and checked the clock face, seeing a figure staring back at her in the reflection.

"Madame de Pompadour…"

Reinette gasped and turned around as Rose revealed herself, "Please, don't scream or anything, we haven't got a lot of time."

S.S

Rose looked up at Reinette as she stood before her, explaining to the woman what was to be, "I've come to warn you that they'll be here in five years," she told her.

"Five years?" Reinette repeated.

"Some time after your thirty-seventh birthday. I um…I can't give you an exact date. It's a bit random. But they're coming. It's gonna happen. In a way, for us, it's already happening. I'm sorry," she sighed, "It hard to explain. The Doctor does this better."

"Then be exact, and I will be attentive."

"There isn't time."

"There are five years," Reinette argued.

"For you," Rose said, "I haven't got five minutes."

"Then also be concise," she moved over and sat next to the young woman as she explained what was going on.

"Erm…there's say, um…a…a…a vessel. A ship," she stumbled, "A short of sky ship. And it's full of…well, you," she glanced at the future aristocrat to see a blank expression on her face, "Different bits of your life in different rooms, all jumbled up. I told you it was complicated, sorry."

"There is a vessel in your world…." Reinette said, trying to understand, "Where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book so that he may step from one to another without the increase of age…while I, weary traveler…must always take the slower path?"

Rose stared at her, a little shocked, "He was right about you…."

"So, in five years these creatures will return," she went on, "What can be done?"

"The Doctor says to keep them talking," she said, pausing for a minute, "They're kind of programmed to respond to you now. You won't be able to stop them, but you might be able to delay them a bit."

"Until?"

"Until the Doctor….and Laila….can get there," she said.

Reinette eyed Rose for a moment, understanding washing over her in a quick second, "So they're coming, then?" she wondered.

"They promise," Rose nodded.

"But they…cannot make their promises in person?" she frowned.

"He'll be there when you need him," she simply said, averting her eyes, "that's the way it's gotta be."

"It's the way it's always been," she said, noting how she took the other young lady out of her previous statement, "The monsters and the Doctor. It seems you cannot have one without the other."

Rose laughed a bit, "Tell me about it," she paused, "The things is…you weren't supposed to have either. Those creatures are messing with history. None of this was ever supposed to happen to you."

"Yes," Reinette nodded, "It does seem that way, no? But understand this….one may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel, and I've got plenty, I know they'll guide my way to safety," she stood and faced the fireplace, her back to Rose.

"Rose? Rose?" Mickey's voice called from behind a tapestry just outside the room, seeing the two women in the room, "Rose!"

Rose ran over to him as he gave her the news, "The time window when she's thirty-seven," he informed her, "We found it. Right under our noses," he stopped as Reinette walked past him towards the tapestry.

"No," Rose warned, "You can't go in there, the Doctor will go mad…"

But it was too late, Reinette had already seen what was on the other side of the grass, and honestly she was confused and slightly scared. Mickey and Rose could only watch her as she examined her surroundings, "So this is their world," she said, nearly jumping when screams erupted in the distance, "What was that?"

"The time window," Mickey whispered to Rose, "Laila fixed the audio link."

"Those screams…." Reinette breathed, "…is that my future?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded, "I'm sorry."

The woman sighed and looked at the two, "Then I must take the slower path."

"Are you there?" they heard Reinette's voice call from a distance, "Can you hear me? I need you now, you both promised. The clock on the mantel is broken. It is time."

"That's my voice," Reinette mumbled, not sure if she would be able to take any more surprises.

"Rose," Mickey looked at her, "Come on…we've gotta go. There's…there's a problem."

"Give me a moment," Rose motioned for him to go. He stared at her for a second before dashing off down the corridor. Rose slowly approached Reinette, concerned, "Are you okay?"

"No," the woman shook her head, "But you and I both know, don't we? Rose? The Doctor is worth the monsters."

Rose nodded and watched as she walked back through the tapestry, into her own world. She stood there for a moment, thoughtful, before heading off after Mickey. She eventually found them still by one of the time windows.

"You found it, then?" she asked the Doctor.

"They knew we were coming," he said, "They blocked it off."

She looked through the window, into the ballroom, "I don't get it," she said, "How come they got in there?"

"They teleported…you saw them," he quickly explained, "As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short-range teleports will do the trick."

"Well, we'll go in the TARDIS!" she suggested.

"That won't work," Laila shook her head, "We're um, part of events now."

Rose looked at her then at the Doctor, "Doctor?" she raised an eyebrow in confirmation.

The Doctor frowned a little at that. So there was the issue of nobody knowing her too well, but he could see that she was brilliant, a genius in fact if given by the sketches of her inventions he saw back at the Torchwood manor. But there was something else in his companion's tone, something he couldn't quite pin-point at the moment. Shaking his head of those thoughts, he nodded to her, "She's right," he said.

"Well, can't we just smash through?" Mickey asked.

"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other," he said like it was obvious, "We need a truck."

"We don't have a truck."

"I know we don't have a truck!" he turned to face the idiot. Why state the obvious for? What purpose did it serve, he never understood why.

"Well, we've gotta try something!" Rose cried.

"No, smash the glass, smash the time window, there'd be no way back," he said, looking at her as she stared at him. He forgot to mention that tiny little detail.

Laila looked at the Doctor, then at Rose, then at the window. She knew what to do.

S.S

"Can everyone just calm down?" Reinette tried to settle the panicking crowd. It wasn't their fault, they didn't have a warning of this day to come while she did. Even though that was the case she couldn't help but feel a little frightened, "Please. Such a commotion. Such a distressing noise. Kindly remember that this is Versailles. This is the Royal Court. And we are French," she turned to face the droids that had stuck to her life like glue, "I have made a decision. And my decision is 'no'…I shall not be going with you today. I have seen your world, and I have no desire to set foot there again."

"We do not require your feet," one of the droids said, misinterpreting her words.

Two other robots came up on either side of Reinette and pushed her to her knees, pointing their knives at her neck. The head of them all approached her and pointed his weapon at her. Reinette just look up at him, "You think I fear you. But I do not fear you, even now. You are merely the nightmare of my childhood. The monster from under by bed. And if my nightmare can return to plague me, the rest assured…" she lowered her voice, "So will yours."

The sound of footsteps brought everyone's attention to the door, where there stood Laila, with a remote in her hand. She walked between the crowd of people who could only stare at the strange woman, whispering with their neighbors as she stopped before Reinette and the droids, smiling down at her but frowning a the robots.

"You've….caused a lot of trouble today," she spoke to them, "I honestly didn't want to resort to this, but I think I just might."

The head droid tilted its head at her in a curious manner. Reinette looked at the woman and then at the door, "Where's the Doctor?" she inquired, "Weren't you both supposed to be here?"

Laila smiled sadly, "I left on my own accord," she looked down, "They're better off without me around, especially the Doctor. Once he realizes what I am, I'll have to leave, it's a sacred law…." she smiled toothily, "But today isn't about me, it's about you," she pointed at Reinette, "I won't let them hurt you, or anyone for that matter."

She lifted up the device in her hand, turning to face the droids, "Do you know what this is?" she asked, "No? Well, it's a time disfurbultor," she blinked, "Let me show you what it does…." she looked over to the window and waved as if someone were standing there.

She turned the knob to high and everyone watched a little tiny, almost invisible, waves emitted from it and throughout the building. They all looked around after that, confused until Laila pointed up at the wall where once a window lied now a brick wall in its place, "Oh look….no more windows….you all can't get back to your ship," she smiled, "What are you gonna do?"

She watched as the droids repeatedly tried to use their teleports but to no avail, "Your link is currently deleted, it doesn't exist. No way back. I'm sorry, really I am, but what else can you do?"

The clockwork men stared at her for a second before they all wound down one by one. One of them fell backwards and hit the floor, smashing its head to pieces. The guest started to whisper amongst themselves once again as Laila helped up Reinette.

"I…hope they didn't harm you," she eyed her, "Did they?"

"I am fine," Reinette nodded, "What's happened to them?"

"They no longer have a purpose," she explained, the sadness returning, "I suppose I can understand in a way."

S.S

Back on the spaceship, the Doctor watched with wide eyes as the scene before him unfolded. He felt his hearts constrict as Laila waved at them before the window was gone, she was gone. Why couldn't he breathe?

"No," he shook his head, "There…there has to be a way to…"

"Doctor," Rose started, "You said it yourself that if you smash the glass, you smash the time window, no going back. She's not coming back."

"Come on, Rose," Mickey looked at her, "You're not suggesting that we leave, are you?"

"No, but…."

"Shh," the Doctor shushed them, closing his eyes, listening to the painful beating of his hearts. She couldn't be gone, he wouldn't allow it to be, nope, not at all. There had to be a way to get her back, there just had to be. If not then, well….he didn't know really.

He swallowed as his mind flashed back to see her face, smiling at him earlier on. What was wrong with him? Why did it hurt so much that she wasn't here? That she wouldn't be here, that she'd be stuck on the other side forever and he'd never get to see her again.

"Come on," he looked at Rose and Mickey, frowning when they just stood there, "What are you waiting for?" he turned and stalked off down the corridor, the two humans watching him leave. Rose frowned and glowered slightly before following him, Mickey right behind her. Even when she wasn't there, she still affected their relationship.

S.S

"Do you know all their names?" Reinette asked, looking at Laila as she stood by the window, "I know the Doctor does, I saw that in his mind. The name of every star."

Laila looked at her, "Yes, I suppose I also know them," she nodded before looking down, fumbling with her fingers. Reinette watched her silently.

"In saving me, you trapped yourself," she said, "Did you know that would happen?"

"Of course. Knew it from the beginning."

"Yet, still you came," she frowned, "Why?"

"I already told you," the Time Lady looked at her, "I don't belong there…I don't belong anywhere really."

"We all belong someplace," Reinette said, making the woman raise an eyebrow, "And I do believe that you belong with them, with the Doctor."

"Even so, there's nothing to do about it now," she looked out the window.

The aristocrat smiled at the woman, "Or is there?" she set down her glass of wine, "Come with me."

Laila frowned in confusion but followed her nonetheless. They ended up in Reinette's bedroom, for some reason unbeknownst to her.

"It's not a copy," Reinette said, gesturing towards the fireplace, "It's the original. I had it moved here and was exact in every detail."

"The fireplace," Laila slowly walked towards it, "From the ship and your bedroom. Brilliant," she smiled at the woman who smiled back in return.

"It appears undamaged," she continued, "Will it still work?"

"Well the link was broken with the ship when you moved it, so it was saved basically from my device because it was offline, everything else wasn't," she tapped the woodwork, "Hm…." she smiled a little, finding the spot she needed, "A loose connection…." she frowned, "But that doesn't change that…..whoa!" she stumbled a bit as the fireplace began to turn on its own, "Um, I guess….bye!" she waved at Reinette who waved back in return, a small smile on her face.

When she reached the other end, she found herself face to face with the Doctor, a slightly shocked look on his face, "Um," she began, "You see what had happened was…."

The Doctor pulled her into a rather tight hug, interrupting her sentence, "Don't you ever," he breathed, relief spreading through his veins, "ever. EVER. Do that again, understand? I don't…." he looked her in the eye, "I don't get why you….are you not happy on the TARDIS? Is that why you keep putting yourself in these situations, that…that….? Wh…what's going on?"

She stared at him, "Only time can tell, Doctor," was all she said before walking past him, "When that day comes, trust me, you'll see me in a whole different light. And I'm afraid that's the day I'll truly have to leave…."

She headed towards the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor standing there, staring after her with wide eyes.

S.S

I finally finished this, ugh, it took so long. Sorry about that, normally I would've had it done earlier on but I had other things to take care of.

I wanted to have what Laila said actually said in the last chapter, but it didn't happen, so I put it here. And in a couple of episodes we'll find out exactly what she meant by that statement there. I hope you all liked the change I did there, instead of it being focused on the Doctor and Reinette, it was more focused on him nearly losing Laila for the second time since meeting her. This will also play a part in why Laila will start to believe what Rose said about the Doctor pitying her.

Only one review, hm…cool!

Mionerocks: Yes and you'll probably want to punch him quite a few times as well. Oh, it will, it will } :)


	10. Rise of the Cybermen: Parallel Earth

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Rise of the Cybermen

Chapter 10: Parallel Earth

* * *

The Doctor, Rose and Mickey were hanging about in the TARDIS. The Doctor and Rose were both slumped in chairs next to each other while Mickey stood by the console listening to their adventure stories. Laila had wandered upstairs and back to her room to finish something of secret.

"And that weird munchkin lady with the big eyes? Do you remember?" the Doctor asked, looking at Rose, "…the way she looked at you! And then she opened her mouth and fire comes out!"

"I thought I was gonna get frazzled," Rose laughed.

"Yeah!" he grinned, "One minute she's standing there, and the next minute…rawwwh!"

They both began mimicking fire coming out of their mouths, laughing to death. Mickey nodded as they went along and smiled, not really quite following what was going on, "Yeah…where…where was that, then?" he asked, "What happened?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to respond when Laila came bounding down the stairs, running up to Mickey immediately, "It's complete," she smiled.

Mickey's eyes lightened up and a full smile swept across his face, "Really?" she nodded, smiling as well, "Well, come on, and show it to me! Man…."

She raised an eyebrow at him before looking down at his hand still on the console button, "Um," she frowned, "You know you were only supposed to hold that for five to ten minutes….it's been thirty, Mickey."

"What?" Mickey looked at her then at the Doctor, who was trying hard not to laugh, "Did you just forget me?!"

Laila looked at the Doctor, who was focusing his attention on Mickey as he stumbled for an excuse. She sighed internally. He'd been doing that since they left Reinette and closed all the time windows. He wouldn't look at her, or talk to her, or really come anywhere near her. She was in the kitchen early this morning and he had wandered in and she had offered one of the banana muffins she'd made, which she _knew_ he enjoyed, given he had eaten about three the last time she made them. But he had only shook his head and left the room at a fast pace.

"_You're not all the useful either, I don't understand why he keeps you. You just stand 'round all day, doing nothing. Maybe he just pities you…"_

She shook her head. Ever since they left the ship, Rose's words just kept following her around. And the Doctor not doing anything to do with her didn't help, or the victorious smirks Rose kept sending her way whenever the man wasn't around. What was there to be victorious about? It wasn't like this was a competition….

Her eyes widened slightly. Oh….now she got it. She frowned a little, briefly wondering why she hadn't realized that sooner, why Rose was treating her the way she did. Obviously jealousy had taken over her, even though there was honestly nothing to be jealous about. She thought about that for a moment, thinking back to the ship.

Wait, she _had_ thought about it before, but only for a quick second. But it was like her mind had thrown away the thought, that she couldn't accept it as be. But why? It was perfectly logical that Rose would be jealous of any woman that entered the Doctor's life, especially given that she was a Time Lady.

So why didn't she want to believe it?

Suddenly, the TARDIS console exploded, sending sparks flying everywhere and knocking her from her thoughts. And her mind went blank.

S.S

_She watched from the eyes of a young child as the grown-ups stood in the room before her, discussing her, looking and pointing at her. Then one of the high-council members came out of the room and to her._

"_Laila," they spoke, a serious edge to their voice, "Do you know what this book is about?" they held up a thick book, symbols stitched in the front of it. _

_She nodded slowly, "It's on a sacred race of Time Lords," she answered quietly, "They died out long ago…reasons still unknown."_

_The council member smiled a little, "Smart girl," they nodded, "And do you know the lives they lived?"_

"_Lonesome would be the word to describe it, wouldn't it?" she asked, "No one was supposed to mess with them, they couldn't even converse with others like them. Forced to live a life forever alone…"_

_The council member nodded and stared at her for a minute or two as she looked back at him. Then her eyes widened…._

_No. It was impossible…_

S.S

"Laila!"

She gritted her teeth, pain coursing through her head. It had been a while since she had daymares, what she liked to call them. Each one always contained a memory she wanted to go back and erase or wished for to never have happened.

Her eyes fluttered open and and her vision slowly focused on Mickey, who was kneeling next to her, "Laila, are you ok?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Ugh…" she groaned, sitting up, "What," she winced, rubbing at her head, "Happened?"

"You passed out," he told her, helping her to stand, letting her lean against him for support, "You kept saying the word 'alone,'" he furrowed his eyebrow, "What was that about?"

She slowly shook her head, as not to worsen her headache, "Nothing…it's nothing," she said, looking up to see the Doctor looking at the console, his face hidden from her. She turned her head and glanced around, just noticing how lifeless the TARDIS was.

The TARDIS was dead.

"The last TARDIS in the universe…" the Doctor mumbled, "Extinct."

"We can get help, yeah?" Rose asked.

He looked at her, "Where from?"

"Well, we've landed," she said, "…we've gotta be somewhere."

"We fell out of the vortex, through the void, into nothingness. We're in some sort of no-place…the silent realm…the lost dimension…"

"Otherwise known as London!" Mickey butted in. Rose and the Doctor turned to see him standing at the door, his arm wrapped around Laila's shoulder in a protective-sort of manner as she tried to regain her breath. One of the things of daymares is it left her almost completely out of it for a good minute, and then another to get her breath back. After a moment she walked out of the TARDIS, Mickey behind her as they took in the view of the city. Rose and the Doctor followed a second later, looking around as well.

S.S

They sitting atop of a low wall, their eyes still wandering around the area, "London, England, Earth," Mickey spoke, "Hold on…" he pushed himself off the wall and landed with a thud on the ground, walked over to a dustbin, taking a paper from it, "First of February this year…not exactly far-flung, is it?"

Rose hopped off the wall to take a closer look. Laila glanced at the Doctor, to see his focus elsewhere. She frowned and turned her head back to the humans. Couldn't he just look at her? Or at least say one word at least? He was acting like she had the freaking plague!

And it hurt, way more than she would like to admit. She let out a breath and jumped off the wall, walking over to look around some more.

"So," the Doctor said, jumping down to the ground as well, "This is London."

"Yep," Mickey nodded, looking at him. He was positive about that one, and there was nothing the Time Lord could say to make him think otherwise.

"Your city," he continued.

"That's the one."

"Just as we left it."

Mickey grinned, "Bang on."

"And that includes the zeppelins?" his gaze wandered up and they followed it to see a sky, sure enough, full of zeppelins.

"What the hell…" Mickey breathed.

"That's beautiful," Rose remarked.

Laila watched the sky for a second and then back down to Mickey when he began to speak, "Okay," he said, "So, it's London with a big international zeppelin festival."

"This is not your world," the Doctor said,

"But if the date's the same…." he looked over at Laila who motioned for him to go on, "….it's parallel right? Am I right? Like a parallel Earth where they've got zeppelins, am I right? I'm right, aren't I?"

Laila gave him two thumbs up while the Doctor turned his head, "Must be," he said nonchalantly.

"So, a parallel world where…." Rose said, trying to work it out.

"Oh, come on," Mickey looked at her, feeling on a roll, "You see it on films. Like an alternative to our world where everything's the same but a little different, like…I dunno…traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected…"

"And he's still alive…" they all followed her gaze to a poster of a obviously successful, blonde, business man, "A parallel world and my dad's still alive…." she slowly made her way towards it, the others following after her.

"Don't look at it, Rose," the Doctor advised, "Don't even think about it. This is not your world."

"But he's my dad….and…." she reached over and touched the poster, jumping back when it sprang to life, the picture of her father saying 'trust me on this', adding a wink and a thumbs up afterwards, "Oh, that's weird," she frowned then smiled again, "But he's real!"

"Trust me on this," her father said once more, the sound on loop.

"He's a success!" she cheered happily, "He was always planning these daft little schemes, health-food drinks and stuff. Everyone said they were useless. But he did it.

Suddenly she found herself facing the Doctor as he turned her around to face him, "Rose, if you've ever trusted me, then listen to me now," he said, an urgent tone lacing his voice. Rose's eyes slithered over to the poster, "Stop looking at it!" she, with a bit of reluctance, met his eyes again, "Your father's dead. He died when you were six months old. That is not your Pete. This is A Pete. For all we know, he's got his own Jackie…his own Rose. His own daughter who is someone else, but not you," Rose frowned at that and tried not to look back at the poster, but it was _so_ tempting, "You can't see him. Not ever."

She gave him a tiny nod while Mickey touched her shoulder comfortingly. The poster of Pete continued on its loop.

S.S

Mickey entered into the pitch-black TARDIS, closing the door behind him. The Doctor, from his spot by the console rounded on him, "I told you to keep any eye on her!" he said, angrily.

"She's all right…" Mickey waved him off, "Besides, Laila's out there."

"She goes wandering off…parallel world, it's like a gingerbread house!" the Time Lord continued, "All those temptations calling out."

He stared at the man for a moment, "Laila's out there, she said she'd keep an eye on on her," he said, "She told me to come in here and make sure you were alright," he frowned, "But I see now, it's just Rose then? Nothing out there to tempt me?"

The Doctor frowned and turned back to the console, "Well, I don't know," he said, "I can't worry about everything…if I could just get this thing to…" he kicked the console hard as he ranted. He gritted his teeth, feeling a sharp pain go through his foot. Slowly, he walked, or better yet limped over to a chair, a scowl on his face. Mickey watched him, amusedly.

The man deserved a little bit of pain. He could see that he was bluntly ignoring Laila, which he could also tell was beginning to affect her, that it hurt her. He knew the feeling all too well. There was nothing he could see that she had done to deserve that sort of treatment.

His mind went back to Rose's comment about the Doctor pitying the Time Lady, bringing her along for the ride because he felt sorry for her, that he was merely just humoring her. He hoped it wasn't true, 'cos if it was, well…he didn't know what it was, maybe it was because Laila was the first out of Rose and the Doctor to be actually be nice to him, to make him feel included, intelligent, but he felt protective of her and he wasn't about to let anyone, not even the Doctor, hurt her. And it felt good to know the feeling was returned.

S.S

Rose strolled down along the bank of the Thames, scowling a little as she walked along. Laila was following behind her, but keeping a distance at the same time. What did the woman want? Couldn't she see that nobody wanted her here? She had to admit that she was a little surprised when the Doctor started to ignore the woman, but soon, not even a second later, did she feel happy about it. Now all she needed to do was wait until the opportune moment and with a snap of her fingers the Time Lady would be out of the TARDIS and out of her and the Doctor's lives. For good.

With a small smile, she sat down on a bench, avoiding looking over in Laila direction. She looked down at her phone bleeped and took it out of her pocket. She furrowed her eyebrows as the message 'welcome…free trial period' flashed across her screen. With a curious mind, she accepted the offer and found herself watching a news video.

"…and it's good news for Great Britain as John Lumic returns to the country of his birth," a newsreader reported, "Mr. Lumic, the inventory of high-content metal, has denied allegations of ill health."

"We're all flesh and blood," Lumic said response to that statement, "But the brain is what makes us human. Any my mind is more creative than ever."

"With shares in Cybus Industries doubling in price, Mr. Lumic…"

Rose lifted her head and eyes to the sky, realizing who was up in the zeppelins before she closed her phone as a reference to Torchwood was made.

S.S

"We're not meant to be here," the Doctor said, more to himself than Mickey, "The TARDIS draws its power off the universe, but it's the wrong universe. It's like diesel in petrol engine."

Mickey moved over and sat next to him, "But," he began, "I've seen it in comic. People are hopping from one alternative world to another…it's easy," he frowned when the man shot him a withering look.

"Not in the real world," he explained, then paused, "Used to be easy. When the Time Lords kept their eye on everything, you could hop between realities, home in time for tea. Then they died, took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed. Everything because that bit less kind."

"Laila's here," Mickey said, "So I guess the Universe gave you something back, huh?" he smiled, only to drop it when he received no response, "Then how did we get here?"

"I dunno," the Doctor shrugged wearily, "Accident? Should've been impossible…now we're trapped," a hopeless silence surrounded them for a good minute, when he looked up and noticed something glinting underneath the metal flooring, "What's that?"

He looked at him, "What?"

"That there," he pointed to it, "Is that a reflection?" they both moved closer to it, crouching down to stare at it, "It's a light!" his eyes widened, "Is it? Is that a light? I think that's a light! That's all we need!" he began to move the metal grilling, a grin on his face, "We've got power! Mickey, we've got power! Ha!"

Mickey watched with slight excitement and concern as the man started to climb under the grilling, pulling out different, important-looking, internals of the TARDIS. He was no expert on the box, but even he was sure that wasn't a good idea.

"It's alive!" the Doctor cried, deliriously happy.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's nothing," he explained, "It's tiny. One of those insignificant little power cells that no one ever bothers about, and it's clinging onto life. But with one little ounce of reality tucked away inside."

"Enough to get us home?"

"Not yet," the Doctor sat on the small set of stairs under the flooring, holding a tiny green power cell in his hands, "I need to charge it up."

"We could go outside and latch it up to the national grid!" Mickey suggested.

"Wrong sort of energy," he said as if it were obvious, "It's gotta come from our universe."

"But we don't have anything."

He smirked, "There's me…" he blew gently on the cell and looked on as it glowed brightly, "I just gave away ten years of my life. Worth every second!"

The two continued to watch the power cell with huge grins…then the light began to fade, "It's going out," Mickey said, "It's that okay?"

"It's on a recharging cycle," the Doctor simply said as the cell glowed brighter then dimmed, "It'll loop around, power back up and be ready to take us home in…oh…twenty-four hours?" he placed a kiss on the cell.

"So, that gives us twenty-four hours on a parallel world?"

"Surely!" he nodded, "As long as we keep our heads down. Easy. No problem," he tossed the cell in the air and caught it, "Let's go tell them."

Mickey nodded and walked out after the man, a little happy he included Laila in that. At least he knew he was conscious that the woman was there.

S.S

After a moment, the Doctor and Mickey found the two women. Rose was sitting on the bench, looking down at her phone while Laila was standing by the bank of the Thames, staring out into the city. A slight breeze flew past them and the Doctor stopped for a moment, his eyes transfixed on Laila, watching as her hair picked up in the wind, blowing around her, an almost nonexistent smile on her face. He blinked rapidly for a moment then shook his head and continued on over to Rose while Mickey watched him, shaking his head before _he_ headed over to the Time Lady, who did smile once seeing him.

S.S

Hm, the Doctor is ignoring Laila. I am so wrong for putting her through this, given how she is already, but –avoids thrown pencils- it'll help in the long run. I know, I know, I bet you're thinking 'What? How is him ignoring her going to help in the future? What kind of twisted logic is that and blah, blah, blah….' I know. Let's just say the Doctor will receive a wakeup call at the end of _Age of Steel_, and it's going to be interesting after that…really interesting.

On another note, if any of you are Supernatural fans, I have put up a new Supernatural FanFic called 'The Memory Ring' starring my two new OCs Alexa and Isabel. Check it out if you can!

Three reviews, totally awesome!

Grapejuice101: All I can say that it's before this season ends and it'll come unexpectantly to the Doctor. He won't know what to do at first….then things start to heat up after that, I've already got that much planned out. But how things heat up, that's for you to read and for me to keep quiet about ;)

Mionerocks: Yes, she is quite the mysterious woman. Even when we get to the 11th Doctor there will be things she still hasn't told anyone, not even the Doctor, and he'll know _a lot_ about her by then.

Disney-Princess-in-Disguise: Welcome aboard the story train! He will find out, it'll be before this season ends, and it'll come unexpectantly to him. Honestly, he won't know what to do at first….then it gets really interesting.


	11. Rise of the Cybermen: Separate Journey's

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Rise of the Cybermen

Chapter 11: Separate Journey's

* * *

The Doctor strode over to Rose while Mickey went over to Laila, "There you are!" he grinned, sitting down next his blonde companion, "You all right? No applause, I fixed it!" he held out the cell, "Twenty-four hours, then we're flying back to reality," he looked at her and his grin faded, noticing her solemn-like expression, "What is it?"

"My phone connected," she told him, her voice not full of its usual pep, "There's this…Cybus Network, it finds your phone. It gave me Internet access."

"Rose," he began, knowing where this conversation was headed, "Whatever it says, this is the wrong world."

"I don't exist."

He frowned, furrowing his brow, "What do you mean?"

"There's no Rose Tyler," she explained, the fact obviously affecting her, "I was never born. There's Pete, my dad, and Jackie…he still married mum…but they never had kids."

"Give me that phone," he reached over to snatch it from her but she pulled it away before he could.

"They're rich," she continued, her voice slightly cracking, "They've got a house and cars, and everything they want. But they haven't got me," she stood to her feet and walked a short ways away from the bench. Then she turned to face the Doctor, "I've gotta see him."

"You can't," the Doctor shook his head. It was already impossible for them to be here in the first place, they were blots on a painted canvas, smear them and the whole painting was ruined.

"I just wanna see him," she countered.

"I can't let you!" he argued. Why couldn't she see like he saw? He knew exactly what would happen if he let her see her father, again. She was going to run into him and then they'd find themselves stuck in another mess because of him, because she didn't listen to _him_. It wasn't just her, humans just…they were so nostalgic and found almost _everything_ tempting, she _wouldn't_ be able to resist talking to her father, who wasn't really _her_ father.

"You just said twenty-four hours!" she shouted, angrily. All she wanted to do was see him, alive and not have to go through what she did last time. She took the time to save him and what happened? He ended up dead, again.

"You can't become their daughter," the Doctor tried to reason with her, "That's not the way it works! Mickey, tell her," he turned his head to look at him, seeing him and Laila looking at him and Rose.

Mickey glanced at Laila, an idea forming in his mind, "Twenty-four hours, yeah?"

The Time Lord stared at him in disbelief, "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Well, I can do what I want!" he grinned, beginning to walk in the other direction. Laila watched him, a thoughtful look on her face.

"I've got the address and everything," Rose said, stepping backwards in the opposite way.

The Doctor looked from her to Mickey frantically, "Stay were you are, both of you!" he ordered, "Rose, come back here! Mickey, come back here right now!"

"I just wanna see him," she told him.

"Yeah," Mickey nodded, "I've got things to see and all."

"Like WHAT?!" the Doctor rounded on him. Laila turned her head to him at that, a flash of disappointment crossing her features.

"Well, you don't know about me, do ya?" Mickey said, "It's always about Rose. I'm just a spare part."

Laila averted her attention to him, "Now that's not true," she said, sincerely.

"I'm sorry," Rose called out, "I've gotta go."

The Doctor turned from Mickey to Rose, a puzzled look on his face, watching as both of them walked away from him.

"Go on then," Mickey gestured to Rose, "No choice, is there? You can only chase after one of us, and it's never gonna be me, is it?"

The Doctor faced him again and for the first time in a while, his eyes met Laila's, who immediately closed her when he did. She turned her back to him and walked over to Mickey, not bothering to look back at the Time Lord, who could only stare as she walked away, without a word, from him.

S.S

As Lumic's zeppelin landed down on an air slip, a car pulled up and three men stepped out. Pete approached the figures, one of them turning to face him, "Mr. Tyler," he began, "What, the matter couldn't wait until tonight?"

"Mr. President," Pete firmly shook his hand, "Honoured. I'm on the fast-track program. Cybus Industries have pulled up my company, so I'm part of the firm now."

"Some people say they've bought my Government."

He laughed, "I've never heard anybody say that. Never," he winked at the man, giving him his signature thumbs up, "You can trust me on this."

"I tried your drink," he conversed, "That Vitex stuff. It tastes like Pop."

"Well, it is Pop," Pete said.

"You made money by selling a health-food drink into a sick world," the President shook his head, "Not quite the ordinary Joe you appear to be, are you?" obviously Pete had nothing to say to that, given by his sudden silence, "He does like to keep us waiting," he walked off with the business man behind him, stopping at the foot of the stops descending from the zeppelin, "But tell me…" he peered at him, "You've had a chance to observe John Lumic more than most. What's your opinion?"

"He's very sharp, I'd say," he said, "Sharp as ever. Very clever man. Brilliant, in fact."

"Then, you don't think he's insane?"

"That's not the word I would've used, no," Pete shook his head.

"I see," the President nodded, beginning to climb his way up into the zeppelin, Pete following after him.

S.S

Mickey and Laila found themselves walking alongside a Factory, owned by Cybus Industries. Up head they noted a couple of vehicles and figures blocking the pathway, as they came closer it became evident they were soldiers.

"Are we all right to get past?" Mickey asked after one of the soldiers approached them.

"Yeah," the soldier nodded, "No bother. Curfew doesn't start 'till ten."

"There's a curfew?" he raised an eyebrow. Well, that was one difference from their universe.

"Course there is," he said, incredulous, "Where've you been living, mate? Up there with the toffs?" he glanced up at the zeppelins in the sky. Mickey and Laila followed his gaze before glancing back down.

"I wish," Mickey chuckled, "See ya."

They walked on through the barrier as it was lifted for them, entering another part of London. Laila's eyes wandered over to Mickey, a slightly worried look on her face.

S.S

"Mickey's mum just couldn't cope," Rose explained to the Doctor. They were currently walking down a street, passing by various civilians as they made their way to the Tyler residence, "His dad hung around for a while, but then he just sort of wandered off. He was brought up by his gran," she smiled, "She was such a great woman. God, she used to slap him!" her grin faded as a thought came to her mind, "And then she died. She tripped and fell down the stairs. It's about five years ago, now. I was still in school."

The Doctor nodded, though he wasn't really paying attention to her story, "I never knew," he said.

Rose eyed him for a moment, a slightly suspicious look on her face, "Well, you never asked," she countered.

"Yeah," he nodded again, making it apparent to her that he wasn't paying the slightest attention to her. She frowned and narrowed her eyes. He'd been that way since they split up with Mickey and Laila, the Time Lady having chosen to go with him instead of with them. It was almost like the fact hurt him, which couldn't be the case because he _had_ been ignoring her, something that was obvious to all of them, since they left that spaceship.

She shook her head. She was probably thinking too much into it. The Doctor was a thoughtful man, one of the things she liked about him. He always kept her thinking, something no man she ever dated or met, except maybe Mickey, did before. She never knew what information he was going to spring on her, which she found rather useful in certain situations. He was probably just thinking about the TARDIS for all she knew and hoped was the case.

"That's Mickey," she continued, "I s'pose I…we just…take him for granted. Do you think she's still alive, his gran?"

"Could be," the Doctor lifted his head, looking at her, "Like I said, parallel world…gingerbread house. We need to get out of here as fast as we can."

Suddenly a short alarm blared out into the city and everyone around them stopped in their spots, almost like time itself had frozen. The Doctor and Rose looked around them, confused, "What're they all doing?" Rose asked.

"They've stopped…." he said, striding over to a man, seeing him wearing an earpiece, the same earpiece as everyone else, "It's the earpiece…like a Bluetooth attachment, but everyone's connected together."

Rose's phone beeped and she reached into her pocket, taking a glance over it, "It's on my phone," she told him, "It's automatic, look," she showed it to him, "It's downloading. Is this what they're all getting?" the Doctor peered over her shoulder, pulling on his glasses as she scrolled through the 'downloads', "News…international news…sport…weather…"

"They get it direct," he realized, "Downloaded right into their heads."

"TV schedules, lottery numbers…" she went on, the list was never ending.

"Everyone shares the same information," he quickly took the mobile from her hands, reading the information with his own eyes, "Download published by Cybus Industries."

The download scrolled down to 'Joke', igniting a chuckle from everyone downloading before they all went about their way, as if nothing happened. The Doctor and Rose stared at them, completely nonplussed.

"You lot," the Doctor said with a shake of his head, "You're obsessed. You'd do anything for the latest upgrade."

It was just like their trip earlier back on Satellite Five, with the brains and the spikes. Humans, they just wanted to know it all, never going about the right way but the easiest, and almost always, the most dangerous way.

"Oi!" Rose rounded on him, offended, "Not my lot. Different world, remember…"

"It's not SO far off your world," he countered, "This place _is_ only parallel," he pressed a couple of buttons on the cell, showing Rose as a screen popped up, "Oh, look at that. Cybus Industries owns just about every company in Britain, including Vitex. Mr. Pete Tyler's VERY well connected."

She didn't reply to him, but hung off his arm smiling innocently, giving him the famous puppy-dog-eyes until…

"Oh, okay," he sighed, giving in, "I give up," he tossed her phone back to her, "Let's go and see him."

S.S

Mickey and Laila turned a corner, finding themselves in a run-down part of the city. They crossed street, Mickey's pace slowing down to a stop as they approached one of the doors. Laila placed a hand on his shoulder, an encouraging smile making its way to her face. He nodded, taking a deep breath before knocking on the wooden door three times, waiting expectantly.

"Who's that there?" a womanly voice called from inside. The door opened and an elderly woman, Mickey's grandmother, walked out onto the threshold, "Who is it? I know you're there. Shame on you, tricking an old lady. I've got nothing worth stealing," she brandished her walking stick, holding it up threateningly, "And don't think I'm gonna disappear!" Laila raised a curious eyebrow at that, "You're NOT gonna take ME."

Mickey could only stare at her, overcome with emotions, disbelief being one of the many. Laila nudged him and he swallowed, "Hi," he said in a whisper.

His grandmother stopped her ranting and stood there for a moment, just like he, "Is that you?" she asked.

"It's me," he said, a smile making its way to his face, "I came home," he took in the feeling as she reached out to him, touching his face.

"Ricky?"

"It's Mickey," he corrected.

"I know my own grandson's name," she said, "It's Rickey. Now, come here."

She pulled him into a hug and his grin became plastered to his face, "Okay, I'm Ricky," he said, "Of course I am. Ricky, that's me," suddenly he found himself being pushed back as she started to hit him on the shoulder, "Ow!"

"You stupid boy," she reprimanded, "Where've you been?"

Laila watched the scene, with slightly-wide eyes, and then lowered them to a sort of amused look. Mickey looked back at her, seeing her expression, "Oh, you're just gonna stand there?" he said, playfully. It was nice to see her smiling, considering how the Doctor was hurting her by ignoring her. It was one thing to not speak to her, of which she didn't deserve as far as he was concerned, but something in him just snapped when he saw her lying there on the TARDIS floor, unconscious. The Doctor just stood there too! He looked at her for a moment, like 0.5 seconds, and then turned away.

It was strange how someone could go from protecting someone, like their life depended on it, and ignoring them the next second.

If the Doctor was going to be that sort of man, then he'd have to be the one to protect her from now on…if he stayed with them that is. It was a reoccurring thought as of late. He knew he didn't belong with them, not with Rose, not anymore.

If he made the decision to not stay, he could only hope that the Time Lord got his act together by then or else they'd have an even bigger problem on their hands. It was strange, he had never felt this sort of drive to protect anyone before, not even Rose. Though, Rose could protect herself when needed. Laila, Laila was like a butterfly. He could tell she was fragile, a possible effect of something that happened in her past, and she needed to be taken care of or…she'd break.

"It's been days and days!" his grandmother continued to shout, turning his attention to her, "I keep hearing all these stories. People keep disappearing off the streets," Laila furrowed her eyebrows, a thoughtful look making its way to her face, "There's nothing of it on the download," she pointed her earpiece, "But they're all these rumors, and…whispers. I thought that God had disappeared you!"

He stared at her then up at the top of the staircase, noticing the torn carpet still lying there, "That carpet on the stairs," he said, his voice trembling, "I told you to get it fixed, you're gonna…" he closed his eyes, "Fall and break your neck."

"Well," she said, "You get it fixed for me."

"I shoul' a done way back," he swallowed, "I guess I'm just kinda useless."

"Mickey," he faced Laila as she looked at him, "Don't say that, please. You're far from useless…trust me, I know what useless is," she struggled to smile, "I see it every time I look in the mirror. I didn't want to believe it at first," her eyes became downcast, "B…But I suppose the truth has revealed itself now…." she stared at a spot on the floor, her mind going somewhere else.

Mickey frowned and he found himself wishing the Doctor was here…so he could give the man a good one in that precious face of his. He reached over and pulled the Time Lady into a hug, despite her not returning it, and despite knowing he wasn't the one who she probably needed one from now.

He didn't know much about her, for goodness sake it was strange how protective of her he was already, but he could tell just by looking at her and listening to how she said those words that something was eating her up on the inside. She was brilliant and it showed in her sketches and inventions!

"Do you know what you need, dear?" his grandmother spoke, having quietly just waited and listened for them to finish. She raised a good boy and she could tell he cared for this lady, "A nice sit down and cuppa tea. You both got time?"

"For you, I've got all the time in the world," Mickey smiled, even though she couldn't see it, "And she'd like that too."

"You say that," she laughed, "But it's all talk. It's those new friends of yours. I don't trust them."

"What friends are they?" he frowned, uncertain of whether he wanted to know or not.

"Don't pretend you don't know," she said, "You've been seeing them. Mrs. Chan told me. Driving about all helter-skelter, in that van."

"What van's that, then?" he pressed, honestly confused.

"You know full well!" she nearly shouted, "Don't play games with me," she jerked her thumb backwards, "Get inside!"

Mickey and Laila took a step forwards, about to do so, when they were pulled back into the back of a van. They looked up to see slightly spikey haired boy, wearing nothing but black on, staring down at them, "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Mickey only caught a glance of his grandmother before the van pulled away, the sound her her shouting his name ringing in his ears.

S.S

Doctor, oh no…look what you've done. Trust me, it's gonna take a while to get Laila to open up after this little stunt. Oh man. This won't be the last time he messes up, but the others won't be quite on the scale of this one and you all will see why when we get to them ;)

These two episodes will focus more on Mickey/Laila friendship than the Doctor and the Cybermen, which who by the way will play a major role in this part of the story, just this part in general, not the whole series…no…there's another enemy, or enemies, that fill up that slot.

You all are probably wondering why Mickey feels this way…well, it's difficult to say at this point because if I tell you then it'll reveal something else that I want to all to either figure out or wait until it's revealed in the story itself. I will say this, he is NOT the first person who will feel this way. I believe I mentioned in my last story that there will be a lot of people who will be protective of her for reasons of their own. That's because by those points she will be going through a change, so…yeah…

Two more reviews, okay, okay…yay!

Mionerocks: You'll probably want to slap him a lot in this story, because of how idiotic he'll be, just to give you a heads up. Nope, that's not the wakeup call, something worse actually than her just leaving.

TheGirlWhoWaited: Hello again! And here's your 'more'! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed coming up with it.


	12. Rise of the Cybermen: Surrounded

Important Notice: I'm in a situation right now where I don't have internet (I'm at a cousins house where I do, but where we're living I don't) and I won't have it for about a month, or at least that's what my Granddaddy said, because we're living with _him_ right now until further notice. Please don't ask what the situation is, the reason why I ask that is because it's complicated and I can't explain it well enough. But! I do go to school five days out of the week and I am able to access the internet there, so I'll update once lunch starts, or during one of my classes before the bell rings, or sooner if I can.

* * *

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Rise of the Cybermen

Chapter 12: Surrounded

* * *

Mickey and Laila sat opposite of the spiky-haired man, who they learned name was Jake, in the back of the van. In the front was a lady driving the vehicle, also clothed in black, whose name was Mrs. Moore. There was an almost one-sided awkward silence as the duo tried to figure out who this guy was. It was obvious he was one of 'those' friends of Ricky's, the alternative Mickey, in this dimension if the van gave anything away. So, what did he want?

"Ricky," Jake broke the silence, "You were the one who told _us_ you don't contact your family 'cos it puts them in danger!" he eyed Laila, "Who's the girl?"

"This is Laila, she's with me," Mickey said and she waved, "But yeah, course I, Ricky, said that, just testing."

"I saw them," he continued, "I taped them! They went 'round Black Friars gathering up the homeless like a child-catcher. They must've took four dozen."

Laila snapped her eyes to him, a slightly suspicious, yet thoughtful, air about her. People were disappearing off the streets, four dozen apparently. She closed her eyes, silently hoping the Doctor and Rose were alright out there, despite their treatment of her lately.

"The vans were hired out to a company called 'International Electromatics,'" Mrs. Moore added, "But I did a protocol search…turns out that's a dummy company established by guess who?"

"I dunno, who?" Mickey asked.

"Cybus Industries!" she and Jake shouted in unison, staring at him like he'd grown a second head. All he could do was nod, though he hadn't a clue what the two were going on about. He glanced at Laila to see her looking at the roof of the van, deep in her mind.

"And now we've got evidence," Mrs. Moore said, making the two look at her, then back to Jake as he started to speak.

"Bad news is," he said, "They've arrested Thin Jimmy. So that just leaves you."

"Leaves me what?"

"The Number One," Jake said, sounding pleased about the fact, "Top of the List. London's Most Wanted."

Laila could only stare at him, then over to Mickey, who didn't seem to see what the problem was here. She supposed it made sense in a way; this world _was_ parallel after all, but she couldn't imagine him as a bad person, and these guys didn't seem too horrible either. Though…she learned to never judge a book by its cover very well.

"Okay, cool," Mickey nodded then paused, realizing what he said, "Say that again?"

S.S

Lumic stood as the center of attention as he showed the small audience he had a presentation of his new plans. The diagrams on the screen demonstrated his works as he spoke, "The most precious thing on this Earth is the brain, and yet we allow it to die," his voice-over said, "But now Cybus Industries has perfected a way of sustaining the brain indefinitely within a cradle of copyrighted chemicals. And the latest advances in synapse research allow cyber-kinetic impulses to be bonded onto a metal exoskeleton. This is the ultimate upgrade. Our greatest step into cyberspace."

"I'm sorry," the President interrupted, "Could we stop it there," Lumic twisted his breathing apparatus from his face, clearly affronted by the disturbance, "I don't need the pitch. I think we all know what this 'ultimate upgrade' entails. And I'm here to tell you, John…the answer is no," Lumic grunted in aggravation, "My government does not give you permission," he stood to his feet, ready to end the conversation, "And I think no government ever will."

"I prepared a paper for the ethical committee," Lumic tried to reason.

"Oh, come on," he said, "It's not just unethical. It's obscene."

"Mr. President…if I might make a personal plea. I _am_ dying, sir."

"I'm aware of that," the President stated, "And I'm very sorry."

"Without this project, you have condemned me," Lumic argued, "My inventions have advanced. This whole planet…would you have all that perish?"

"You're a fine businessman, John," he said, earnestly, "But you're not God. I'm really very sorry, but I think we would end it there," he turned to Pete, "Mr. Tyler, I'll see you tonight," Pete nodded, "I think we could all do with a drink, Mr. Lumic," he walked away, exiting the aircraft. Lumic just stood still in his spot, horror-stuck.

Pete looked at him, "Still," he encouraged, "It's not the only country in the world. There's always New Germany."

"This is the home land," Lumic muttered, "My birthplace. You may leave."

"Thank you, sir," he turned on his heel and left as Lumic faced his computer.

"Mr. Crane?" he called and immediately the man popped up on the screen.

"Ready and waiting, sir."

"Did the override work?" he asked.

"Well, needs a bit of fine-tuning…we weren't exactly delicate given the rush, but er…yeah. Yeah. It's all working."

S.S

Mr. Crane stood and walked from the computer, "I've been testing the system, sir," he went on, moving over to the opposite end of the room where some rather…extendable…people were waiting in a row, completely stilled as though they were under a trance.

"They've grafted on a treat," he said, "These have. Given a little persuasion. If you care to observe, sir…." taking a few steps back, he held out a remote-control like device, "And turn to the right…" the folk turned to the right just as commanded, "…and back to the left," and then to the left.

"Are you having fun, Mr. Crane?" Lumic asked with a cold edge to his voice.

"Oh, no, no…." Mr. Crane shook his head sheepishly, "Not at all, sir…no. It's just…well, it's er…irresistible."

"Then resist," he was ordered, "And start the upgrade."

"Did we get permission?"

"I am governed by greater laws, old friend. The right of a man to survive. Now, begin!"

The screen went static and Crane turned around back to the men, "And turn to the left…." they obeyed, "…forward march."

They marched forward and through a door held open by another staff-member and into a room with a red glare emitting from it. As they in and disappeared from sight, the sounds of their screams filled the air. Crane leaned against one of the technician's shoulders, sitting at a terminal.

"Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," he spoke, wincing at the screeches, "Let's cover up that noise. Erm…give us track number 19."

The technician obliged and 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' blared out, blocking the cries. Mr. Crane smiled with content.

S.S

The van pulled up outside of a house. Jake hopped out of the back first, "There's a light on," he said, "There's someone inside the base," Laila came out of the vehicle next, followed by Mickey, then Mrs. Moore, "Mrs. Moore…we've got visitors."

The quartet snuck down the side of the house in a spy-like fashion, Jake and Mrs. Moore with their guns at hand. Laila stared at them, then winced and turned her head away.

"One…two…three…go!" Jake shouted before they burst through the door and froze. In front of them was a _complete_ replica of Mickey, minus the black clothing. Laila looked between him and Mickey, already able to guess who the other was.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ricky shouted.

"What're you doing there?!" Jake cried, also looking between the two men, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What am I doing HERE?" he said, slowly walking forwards, "What am I doing THERE?" he pointed a finger at Mickey, who immediately stepped in front of Laila as the guns were pointed at them. She glanced around his shoulder, at Ricky, who stared back at her, and she smiled a little at him.

S.S

The Doctor and Rose were crouched in a couple of bushes nearby Pete and Jackie's house. They watched as one by one expensive-looking cars pulled up at the house.

"They've got visitors," the Doctor remarked.

"February the first…mum's birthday," Rose said, "Even in a parallel universe, she still loves a party."

"Well, given Pete Tyler's guest list, I wouldn't mind a look," he smiled, "And there is one guaranteed way of getting inside," he held up a small wallet designed paper.

"Psychic paper!" Rose grinned. Psychic paper allowed the user to trick another into believing whatever was written on the paper. The possibilities were endless!

"Who do you wanna be?" he asked.

S.S

Several waiters and waitresses entered the main party room from the kitchen, holding up trays of various delectable refreshments. Following behind them the Doctor and Rose, dressed up in the same uniforms, walked out. A woman took a sample of food from Rose's plate and walked off.

"We could've been anyone," Rose whispered under her breath to the Doctor.

"Got us in, didn't it?" he countered.

"You're in charge of the psychic paper," she said, "We could've been guests. Celebrities. Sir Doctor, Dame Rose. We end up serving. I had enough of this back home."

They both smiled politely, getting into their roles of the servants, as a few people took some champagne and cocktail sticks from their trays.

"If you wanna know what's going on, work in the kitchens," he simply said as they retreated to the side of the room, the proceedings beginning, "According to Lucy, that man over there…" he nodded towards the President.

"Who's Lucy?" Rose asked, a frown beginning to appear on her face.

"She's carrying the salmon pinwheels," he gestured towards a young waitress on the other side of the room.'

"Oh, that's Lucy, is it?"

She had enough to deal with Laila, who wasn't as much as a threat, but now there was this Lucy woman. She took a breath, calming herself down before her thoughts swept her away. Lucy was a waitress, who was even less than a threat than the Time Lady, so there was nothing to worry about. Nothing, nothing at all…

"…Yeah!" the Doctor nodded, ignorant of her inner thoughts, "Lucy says, that is the President of Great Britain."

"What, there's a President, not a Prime Minister?" she asked, looking at him.

"Seems so."

She turned back to the crowd, "Or maybe Lucy's just a bit thick."

If the Doctor heard that comment, he made no notion to acknowledge it as they moved on their way around the room with their trays.

"Excuse me!"

They stopped and watched, silently, as Pete stood in front of the staircase leading up to different paths, "Thank you very much," he smiled, "Thank you…if I could just have your attention, please?"

"Pete!" a man in the crowd called, "Go on, Pete!"

Pete pointed at him, "Thank you very much!"

"It's about time you did some work. I thought you liked them young!"

Rose stared him as he spoke, not able to look away.

"Um, I'd just like to say, er, thank you to you all, for coming on er, this very special occasion," he continued, "My wife's….thirty-ninth," the crowd chuckled at that, "Thrust me on this," he gave them a thumbs up and they laughed even more, "So, without any further ado…here she is. The birthday girl…my lovely wife…Jackie Tyler."

Rose strained her neck for a peek and the Doctor glanced at her, a slightly worried look on his face. They watched to the best they could as Jackie descended the staircase, smiling at the crowd who began to applaud, cheer, and take photos. Rose stared at her, an awed look upon her face.

"Now," Jackie began, standing next to Pete, "I'm not giving a speech…that's what my parties are famous for, no work, no politics, just a few good mates and plenty of black-market whisky," she laughed with the crowd, "Pardon me, Mr. President!" he smiled at her, "So, yeah! Get on with it…enjoy, enjoy," she waved them off before Pete took her hand and they joined their friends and co-workers.

The Doctor looked at Rose, "You can't stay," he told her quietly, "Even if there was some way of telling them."

"Course I can't," she nodded, "I've still got my mum at home, my real mum," she sighed, "I couldn't just leave her, could I. It's just…they've got each other. Mum's got no one."

"She's got you!" he tried to reason, "Those two haven't!" he shook his head, "All these different worlds, not one of them gets it right."

"Rose!"

The Doctor and Rose turned around to see a little pooch potter over to Jackie, "There's my little girl!" she picked her up, "Come to mummy, come to mummy! Yes, good girl! Good girl, aren't you?"

Rose stared at the scene with wide eyes, a look of disbelief on her face. The Doctor took one glance at her before he stifled out a laugh, sobering at the look she shot him afterwards, "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

S.S

Mr. Crane walked outside of the factory and beside him were several men in metal suits, "Platoon now boarding," one of the metal men said, "Platoon zero-L-two boarding."

Crane turned to a staff member who was staring as they marched past them, "Stop staring," he ordered.

"Who are they, sir?" the man asked.

"I'm told they're the future," he answered, "Ain't technology wonderful? Go on, get in the cab. Start her up."

"Sir," he turned and left.

Crane watched the metal men until his cell began to ring. He took it out of his pocket and placed it on his ear as Lumic's voice filled it.

"Mr. Crane," he said "…are we mobile?"

"Just about in the road, sir. And yourself?"

"I'm arriving, Mr. Crane. Prepare the factory," he commanded and Mr. Crane looked up as a zeppelin, Lumic's zeppelin, started to descend from the sky, "Now, send them forth, old friend. Let the good work begin."

S.S

Jake, Ricky and Mrs. Moore eyed Mickey and Laila carefully from their spot in the room. After they realized they had been duped, they immediately tried immobilized them. Jake and Ricky had handled Mickey, who was still standing in front of Laila, not about to let anyone harm her while he was there. Mrs. Moore tried to circle around him to get the girl, but that proved difficult as he was keeping an eye out on her too.

Then, something strange happened. Laila, who had been watching them with a curious look, turned and whispered something in Mickey's ear that made him look at her like she was the one with the second head. She then proceeded to give him a look that said 'Trust me.' Mickey had stared at her for about a minute before looking back at the others and surrendered, a bit reluctantly at that. Laila did the same not a few seconds afterwards. She was tied up first and sat in a chair while Mickey was stripped down to his boxers, something that put a little pink in his cheeks when Laila looked at him, an amused look on her face. She then managed to turn around in her chair away from him, something he was thankful for.

"He's clean," Jake told Ricky, checking over the results, "No bugs."

"But this is off the scale," Ricky said, staring at Mickey, "He's flesh and blood…how did that happen?"

"Well, it could be that Cybus Industries have perfected the science of human cloning…?" Mrs. Moore suggested, just as puzzled as her two associates, "Or your father had a bike?"

Ricky narrowed his eyes and began to circle around Mickey in menacing manner, "Your name is Mickey, not Ricky?" he interrogated.

"Mickey," Mickey nodded, "Dad was Jackson Smith. Used to work at the key cutters in Cliffton's Parade. Went to Spain, never came back," he leaned backwards a bit as his parallel-self bended over to get a closer look at him.

"But that's MY dad," he said, "So…we're brothers."

"Be fair," Jake said, "What else could it be?"

"I don't know," Ricky furrowed his brow, "But he doesn't just look at me, he is exactly the same. There's something else going on here, Jake."

"So, who are you lot?" Mickey asked, glancing over at Laila who had turned her face a little to let him know she was listening.

"We," his clone straightened up, going around his chair again, "We are the Preachers. As in the Gospel Truth. You see?" he gestured towards his ears, "No ear plugs. While the rest of the world downloads from Cybus Industries, we…WE have got freedom. You're talking to London's Most Wanted. But target Number One is Lumic, and we ARE going to bring him down."

Laila frowned at that bit of information. There was definitely something going on here, but she knew she didn't have all the pieces, there had to be something else to it…and it had to do with the ear pieces, which she saw a couple of people, including Mickey's grandmother, wearing along the way to her house.

"From your kitchen?" Mickey questioned, raising an eyebrow. Not exactly the best base to plan a showdown.

Jake smirked at that. He and Ricky really were alike.

"Have you got a problem with that?" Ricky asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No," he shook his head, "It's a good kitchen."

The laptop bleeped, "It's an upload from Gemini," Mrs. Moore informed them.

"Who's Gemini?" Mickey asked.

"The vans are back," she continued, ignoring his question, "They're moving out of Battersea. Looks like Gemini was right. Lumic's finally making a move."

"And we're right behind him," Rickey nodded, "Pack up, we're leaving," he turned to Mickey and Laila, "You're coming with us, I'm not letting you out of my sight for a moment," that was more directed towards Mickey than Laila.

S.S

A huge truck from a Cybus Industries factory drove past. As soon as it was gone the Preacher's van pulled out of the shadows. Ricky was in the front, driving, while in the back Jake, Mrs. Moore, Mickey, and Laila sat. Jake handed Mrs. Moore a gun and she loaded it as Mickey looked on before glancing at Laila who had her head turned from the sight. He placed a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly, earning a thankful smile in return.

He knew she and the Doctor had gone through something called the Time War, or at least that's what she told him when they were working on her project. There was bloodshed, just like any other war, and people died just the same. She told him she didn't like weapons, any kind of weapons for that matter, then she had grown quiet, a slightly angry glint in her eye.

War could make anyone not like weapons, for the fact that they reminded them of that time…but he had a feeling it grew deeper than that, if given how she flinched whenever the word 'gun' was mentioned.

S.S

The Doctor walked alone down a corridor in the Tyler residence, his eyes wandering around for anything of interest. He would've walked past a slightly ajar door, leading into a dark and empty room if he hadn't been for the laptop inside. He looked wearily behind for any sign of someone coming down his way before he snuck quietly into the room, shutting the door behind him. He put on his glasses and looked at the screen, a smile appearing on his face.

S.S

Rose watched from a distance, a sad look on her face, as Jackie chatted with the President, laughing with glee. Pete walked up from behind her, watching her as well.

"I remember her twenty-first," he spoke, nearly making her jump, "Pint of cider in the George."

"Sorry," Rose offered the tray of drinks, "Champagne?"

"Oh, might as well," he took one of the glasses, "I'm paying for it.!"

They both laughed then he took a sip, "It's a big night for you…" she remarked.

"Well, for her…" he corrected, his gaze landing back on his wife, "Still, she's happy."

"Yeah," Rose nodded with a smile on her face, "She should be. It's a great party."

"Do you think?" he looked at her as she gave him his signature thumbs up and grin.

"You can trust me…!"

He shook his head, "You can trust me on THIS," he fixed, showing her the right way to do it.

"That's it, sorry…" she said, "Yeah!" they both laughed, "So, um…how long have you two been married?"

"Twenty years."

"And no kids, or….?"

"We kept putting it off," he answered, "She said she didn't wanna spoil her figure."

"It's not too late," Rose suggested, a small spark of hope flaring in her, "She's only forty."

"Thirty-nine."

"Oh, right," she nodded, playing along, "Thirty-nine!"

Pete chuckled, "It's still too late…" he trailed, contemplating what he was about to say next, "I moved out last month. We're gonna keep it quiet, you know…it's bad for business," her smile faded a little at the update and she nodded as he looked at her, a question in his eyes, "Why am I telling YOU all this? We haven't met before, have we?" she could only stare at him, just like she did when they went back to save her real father, hoping he'd see the resemblance, "I dunno, you just seem sort of…" he furrowed his brow in thought.

"What?" she pressed.

Pete eyed her for a moment. There was something familiar about her, something he couldn't put his finger on, "I dunno," he said, "Just sort of….right," there was another pause. Rose stared at him, quietly, and he felt a bit uncomfortable with the situation, her staring, and moved away to talk to someone else, "Stevey…how's things? How's it going at Torchwood?"

Rose stood in her same spot, looking back him with a sorrowful look on her face. The Doctor was right, no world could get it right. Why couldn't they just look at her and automatically figure it out? Yeah, he was from a different universe, parallel to hers, and technically she wasn't his daughter…but still, there had to be something in him telling him that she was made from him, that she was his daughter.

S.S

Ricky and Jake were crouched in the same bushes the Doctor and Rose previously were behind outside of the Tyler residence, watching as some men dressed in white got out of the back of the truck they followed, "I don't know what they're doing but they seem to be the target," Ricky said, "Big house, fair bit of money…now we've got to find a way to get in."

S.S

Inside the van, Mrs. Moore turned to face Mickey and Laila who were still seated in the back, "I've identified the address," she told them, "It belongs to Pete Tyler. The Vitex millionaire."

"Pete Tyler?" Mickey said, looking at Laila only to see her eyes focused on the ground. He frowned and furrowed his brow. She hadn't said a word since they entered the van, since she told him to let the Preachers capture them. She mostly hid her face from him, but he got tiny glimpses every now and again, and she looked worried, _really_ worried about something.

"He's listed as one of Lumic's henchmen," Mrs. Moore continued, "A traitor to the state."

He stared at her for a moment, the information shocking him into silence, "But…but…." he stuttered, "We've gotta get in there."

S.S

"Now, shut it, duplicate," Ricky called into his comm., having heard what Mickey said, "That's what I just said," they watched as a ramp was let down from the back of the lorry. Mickey, Laila and Mrs. Moore frowned from the the van, hearing the sound of heavy feet marching over Mrs. Moore's comm., "What're they doing….?" He and Jake stared, wide-eyed, as a row of heavy metal feet marched out of the van, "What the hell are they?"

After a few more moments, they hastily retreated back to their van.

S.S

The Doctor watched with interest as a video of Lumic's presentation popped up on the screen, "The most precious thing on this Earth is the human brain…" Lumic began.

S.S

Jackie sat alone on the outside of the porch. Rose spotted her through and window and walked out to where she was, "Mrs. Tyler is there anything I can get you?" she asked.

"The last twenty years back," Jackie remarked, laughing with an edge of weariness. Rose smiled a bit uncertainly. She's never seen her mother like this back home, the woman was always talking, bright, never down. This woman here, an exact replica of her mother, just seemed tired of it all. She briefly wondered if her mother felt this way at times and she began to feel a little bad, because she never once asked.

"I can manage a glass of champagne," she offered instead, "…or a nice cup of tea?"

"Oh," the woman nodded, "that'd do me!"

They laughed and with the ice broken Rose sat down next to her parallel mother, still holding the tray of champagne, "My mum loves that," she said, "End of a long night…she never goes straight to bed, she always stays up just to have that last cup of tea."

"Oh," Jackie nodded, "I'm the same!"

She looked at her, hope building up in her once more, "Two sugars…"

"And me! Pete always says, you know…" she stopped and shook her head, "…ah, never mind him."

"I was talking to him earlier. He's a nice man. You know, big of Jack the Lad, I s'pose, even if he has got money, but…he's a good bloke. Better than most," she eyed Jackie for a moment, "He's worth a second chance."

Jackie turned to her sharply, "Are you commenting on my marriage?" she asked coldly, now on the defense.

Rose shook her head, taken aback by the sudden change in emotion, "No, I was just…"

"Who the hell do you think you are? You're staff! You're nothing but staff, you're just the serving girl, for God's sake," Rose turned her head, hurt, "And you are certainly not getting paid. Don't you dare talk to me."

Jackie stood and huffed back inside the house, leaving her parallel daughter out on the porch, alone and upset. Suddenly, a floodlight snapped on making Rose squint her eyes as she tried to see, but couldn't due to the intensity of the light. Despite that, she could still hear, and all she could hear was the sound of heavy feet stomping with a 'boom, boom, boom, boom.'

S.S

"This is the ultimate upgrade," Lumic finished, "Our greatest step into cyberspace."

The Doctor's eyes widened, "Cybus," he muttered, horrified as realization dawned upon him and he immediately dashed from the room.

S.S

Rose stood to her feet and watched, with more clarity, as the figures marched closer and closer. After a moment, she turned on her heel and ran back inside the house.

S.S

The Doctor wound his way through the crowd and spotted Rose, who spotted him at the same time. They both ran over to a window and looked outside, "It's happening again…"

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"I've seen them before," he took a deep breath, his hearts beating faster as the figures drew closer.

"What are they?"

S.S

Laila stood to her feet, watching the figures approach the mansion from afar, "Cybermen," she said, making the others look at her, "They're Cybermen," she turned to look at them, "Not something you want to cross your path. What they do is almost as worst as what any enemy would do to you…

S.S

"Cybermen," the Doctor answered, jumping back as several of the windows were smashed, eliciting screams from the crowd. Some cowered and some tried to run as the Cybermen stepped through the full length windows. Soon, they had everyone in the room circled with no way out. The Doctor's gaze travelled upwards, an unknown look in his eyes. Rose glanced at him, worriedly.

The President's comm. device bleeped, "Mr. Lumic," he said, distastefully, knowing he was the mastermind behind this whole mess.

S.S

"Mr. President," Lumic said, in his headquarters, through his comm., "I suppose a remark about crashing the party would be appropriate at this point."

He laughed evilly.

S.S

"I forbade this," the President said.

"These are my children, sir," Lumic said, "Would you deny my family?"

"What are they?" Rose asked the Doctor under her breath, "Robots?"

The Time Lord shook his head, "Worse than that," he let out a breath, turning his eyes to the door, a worried look on his face now.

"Who were these people?" the President questioned.

"Doesn't matter."

Rose frowned, "They're people?"

"They were," the Doctor corrected, "Until they had all their humanity taken away. It's a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic body. With a heart of steel. All emotions removed."

"Why no emotions?

"Because it hurts…" he answered, his gaze going back to the door. Rose followed his gaze, confused, before she realized why he kept looking back at the door and she frowned, narrowing her eyes a little.

"I demand to know, Lumic," the President nearly shouted, "…These people…who were they?"

"They were homeless, wretched and useless until I saved them. And elevated them. And gave them life-eternal. And now, I leave you in their capable hands. Goodnight, sir. Goodnight, Mr. President," and he hung up, leaving the people to their own defenses against his 'children'.

One of the Cybermen turned to face the crowd, "We have been upgraded," he said.

The Doctor eyed it, "Into what?"

"The next level of mankind," he answered, "We are Human Point Two. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade. You will become like us."

"I'm sorry," the President approached the robot, "I'm so sorry for what's been done to you," he turned and walked around, "But listen to me…this experiment ends. Tonight."

"Upgrading is compulsory."

"And if I refuse?" he turned to face the metal man.

"Don't," the Doctor shook his head. Why these humans were so…so…he didn't know, but they should at least know that when in the face of danger, never, EVER, ask _that_ question.

Rose glanced at him, confused.

"What if I refuse?" the President asked again.

"I'm telling you, don't," the Time Lord stepped forwards, warningly.

He was ignored once more, "_What_ happens if I refuse?"

"Then you are not compatible," the Cyberman said.

"What happens then?" he asked in challenging voice. The Doctor shook his head.

"You will be deleted," he reached out and grasped the President's neck, whose eyes widened in shock as he was engulfed in an electric-blue light. He was released and he hit the ground, dead, igniting chaos in the room as everyone tried to get out of the house.

"Jackie?!" Pete cried, frantically looking for his wife. People desperately ran around, pushing pas him, looking for a way out, and unfortunately some fell victim to the Cybermen. The Doctor looked at Rose and led her over to one of the broken windows, trying to pull her outside.

"There's nothing we can do!" he told her as she struggled to get away from him.

"My mum's in there!" she cried.

The Doctor shook his head and tried to get her out again, "She's not your mother! Come on!" he shouted, his nerves frayed at this point. Why, why why? Why was it that whenever Pete Tyler got involved in their lives, something like this always happened?! He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. His head felt a little fuzzy, it was almost like a rush…but a rush of what? He felt a variety of emotions hit him at once, anger, worry, fear, more worry, and a bit of sadness.

He shook his head and pulled Rose from the window, nearly dragging her up a slope, her attempts to get back the house continuing on, only for them to be greeted by another row of Cybermen. They quickly changed their direction and ran around the side of the house. Rose spotted Pete jumping out of the window and called him over, "Quick! Quick!" she yelled and he ran after them.

After he caught up, they found themselves at the front of the house, "Pete," the Doctor looked at him, "There's no way out!"

"The side gates!" Pete pointed in the direction and they took off, "Who are you? How do you know so much?"

"You wouldn't believe it in a million years…" he simply said, skidding to a halt as they were met by another row of Cybermen. They turned and saw two figures approaching the house, holding guns.

"Who's that?!" Rose asked.

"Get behind me!" Ricky shouted. They all stood/crouched behind him as he and Jake fired off their guns at the onslaught of Cybermen, making them stop. Rose ran over to Ricky.

"Oh my God," she said, "Look at you…" she pulled him into a tight hug, not noticing his bewildered expression, "I thought I'd never see you again."

Ricky pulled away from her, "Yeah, no offence, sweetheart," he said, "But who the hell are you?"

"Rose!" they turned to see Mickey running down the lawn towards him, "That's not me. That's like….the other one."

Rose stared at him then at Ricky, really confused now.

"Oh, as if things weren't bad enough…there's two Mickey's!" the Doctor groaned.

"It's Ricky," Ricky corrected.

"Yeah," he nodded, turning to Mickey, something else on his mind, "Where's Laila?" he looked around, not seeing the Time Lady anywhere in sight, which bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

Mickey looked at him, "She's with Mrs. Moore, the other member of their group," he gestured to Ricky and Jake, "They're in a van that's outside of the gates."

Everyone watched as the Time Lord just stared at the boy, "You…left her in a van?" he said, "In the middle of a Cyberman invasion?" he almost seemed angry, no he _did _seem angry about that fact.

"Yeah, I mean, no," he shook his head, "She wanted to stay," he frowned, raising an eyebrow, "And why do you care anyways?"

"What…?" he looked taken aback, "Why wouldn't I?"

Mickey laughed, _actually laughed_, at that, "Yeah, because ignoring someone for a few days means that you care loads about them," he scoffed and he looked at the Time Lord, his eyes hard, "She was in near tears because of you," the Doctor's eyes widened considerably, "And she feels useless now because of _you_," he poked him again and the Doctor backed up a little, a different emotion on his face, "She was on the floor of the TARDIS, unconscious, and _you_," he poked him a little roughly, "just _stood_ there!" he backed up a little, taking a deep breath. He'd been holding that in for a while…it actually felt good to say, to stick it to his face.

Rose stepped forwards, "Mickey…."

His eyes snapped to her, telling her to stay put, "Don't get me started on you," he said, shocking her with his tone. The Doctor furrowed his brow at that, looking at her, wondering what _that_ was about, "You both think I'm an idiot," he chuckled, "But you're both the idiots here! She's done nothing…_nothing_….to deserve this treatment from you two."

He supposed it was his past experience with mistreatment that made him snap, but he believed that she honestly didn't do anything to deserve that kind of treatment. He looked up to see a blank look on Rose's face, typical, and a guilty, but angry, one on the Doctor's. Well, at least the man was aware of his mistake, that's all he wanted to do.

He faced the man, "I'm not sure what she'll do," he said, calmed, "But she did look pretty broken up about this whole thing….but she's still worried about you," the Doctor looked up at that, "And you," he looked at Rose, "She's really too kind."

The Doctor nodded, "Yeah…" he agreed, a heavy feeling settling on his chest. It wasn't that he ignored her on purpose, no, it was the complete opposite. It took every ounce of his will, plus so much more, for him not to go and check on her when she was lying on the floor. When he looked at her, he just froze, he couldn't move…then he saw Mickey down there with her, helping her and it slightly angered him, but he wasn't mad at Mickey…he was never mad at the man because of the things he did…but the reaction he received for them. She seemed livelier around him, just happy in general, something he'd been trying to accomplish not soon after meeting her and he achieved it within the first hours of doing so!

The thought that he was hurting her didn't occur to him until she walked away and _chose_ Mickey when they separated, and that hurt him, that he was hurting her.

Mickey was right, she did nothing to deserve that from him…but…he had to wonder what it was that Rose did to her.

"There's more of them…"

His eyes snapped forwards and they all looked around as more Cybermen surrounded them, "We're surrounded…" Rose said.

Ricky raised his gun, aiming it at the metal men, "Put the guns down," the Doctor told them, "Bullets won't stop them."

Jake ignored his command and fired off a rally at the Cybermen, until the Doctor pushed his gun aside angrily, "No! Stop shooting, now!" he straightened and addressed the surrounding Cybermen, "We surrender! Hands up…" he and the others raised their hands, "…there's no need to damage us, we're good stock. We volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed."

"You are rogue elements," one of the Cybermen stated.

"But we surrender," he frowned.

"You are incompatible."

"But this is a surrender!" he tried to reason, something in him snapping at the idea that this could be his last.

"You will be deleted."

"But we're surrendering! Listen to me, we surrender!

"You are inferior. Man will be reborn as Cybermen but you will perish under maximum deletion."

The Cybermen raised its arm to him and his eyes widened, along with everyone else's.

"Delete. Delete. Delete!

S.S

Go Mickey! Way to stick it to the man. Alright, now as you can see he addressed that Rose was behaving a not-so-nice way to Laila, which the Doctor is now aware of, and it will bother him to a certain extent. Remember, he just met Laila not two-three adventures ago, so he won't react as badly to this as he will when Rose returns in Season 4…tsk…I feel sorry for her there. You can say this revelation will be the starting spark of that firework, slowly going along, all calm-like then BOOM!

Now why on Earth would I tell you guys this so early in the Season? Well, because I want you all to look forward to it. What's a story without a little suspense, huh?

Laila, we'll be learning something about her in the next episode, something that'll make the Doctor feel even guiltier than he already does, which I'm sure you all feel that he deserves…but wait until you hear his explanation, it might make you change your mind about him…at least for a little while ;) And he'll be sweet on her after this too, which will make Rose no-so-happy, so prepare for all of that good stuff….

Four reviews or three if you count the comment mishap! But still! You rock guys!

Guest (Mionerocks): Yeah, I think we all just want to give her a hug. (2) That's okay, I understand that kind of confusion, having happened to myself once.

TheGirlWhoWaited: I think we all want to slap the Doctor, and he's not being very nice, but he will be ;) Yes, he will feel really bad about this, but it'll all be okay in the end.

Dream lightning: She could stay with Mickey, but then the story would end here, and I don't think anyone wants that. But! I could do an alternative once I'm done with Season 2, because if I end it here, something will happen that can only be explained if I finish this season…sorry if that confuses you. I don't think she'll ever hate Rose, she's not that type of person….but that doesn't mean that she likes her ;) But I can tell that she cannot hate the Doctor, no matter how much she may try to. She'll find it's even hard to dislike him, which makes you wonder how this whole ignoring her fiasco will turn out.


	13. Age of Steel: Hypnotized

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Age of Steel

Chapter 13: Hypnotized

* * *

_Previously…_

"_We surrender! Hands up…" the Doctor and the others raised their hands, "…there's no need to damage us, we're good stock. We volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed."_

"_You are rogue elements," one of the Cybermen stated._

"_But we surrender," he frowned._

"_You are incompatible."_

"_But this is a surrender!" he tried to reason, something in him snapping at the idea that this could be his last._

"_You will be deleted."_

"_But we're surrendering! Listen to me, we surrender!_

"_You are inferior. Man will be reborn as Cybermen but you will perish under maximum deletion."_

_The Cybermen raised its arm to him and his eyes widened, along with everyone else's._

"_Delete. Delete. Delete!_

S.S

The Doctor pointed the power cell at the Cybermen, expelling a shot of golden light which bounced off on one of the metal men to another, disintegrating them all.

"What the hell was that?" Ricky questioned, staring at the man.

"We'll have that instead," he said, purposely not answering his question, "RUN!"

They all ran just as Mrs. Moore drove onto the scene in the van, honking the horn, "Everybody in!" she called.

Pete turned and made his way back to the house. The Doctor spotted him and tried to restrain him, "I've gotta go back," Pete argued, "My wife's in there."

"Anyone inside that house is dead," the Doctor said, "If you wanna help, then don't let her die for nothing. You've gotta come with us right now," he let go of him and watched as he ran into the van. He looked around to see Rose still staring at the house, "Rose, she's not your mother."

"I know," she said, still keeping her eye on the residence.

"Come on," he pulled her over in the direction of the van, hopping into the back with the others.

"Finished chatting?!" Mrs. Moore asked, "Never seen a slower getaway in my life!"

The drove off and the Cybermen marched ominously forwards behind them.

S.S

Once they were out of danger's way, everything became relatively calm. Ricky, from his spot in the front, glared through the grilling at the power cell, still in the Doctor's palm, though the man wasn't paying much attention to _that_, but more so the lady sitting across from him, Laila, who was currently leaning her head on Mickey's shoulder. He had to admit, he was beginning to get a little aggravated at the proximity between her and Mickey. He found himself looking up every now and again at them. He was oblivious to the fact that Mickey saw him each time, a small smirk growing on his face every time he did so.

A part of him wanted to talk to her, _desperately_, but the more reasonable part of him said that now wasn't the best time or place to do so.

"What was that thing?" Rickey questioned with his eye still on the cell.

"Little bit of technology from my home," he answered.

"It's stopped glowing," Mickey spoke, also looking at it, "Has it run out?"

"It's on a revitalizing loop," he explained, pocketing the cell, "It'll charge back up in about four hours."

"Right," Ricky nodded, "So, we don't have a weapon anymore."

"Yeah, we've got weapons," Jake said, "Might not be one of those metal things, but they're good enough for men like him," he looked bluntly at Pete as he said this.

"Leave him alone!" Rose cried, her voice rising, "What's he done wrong?"

"Oh, you know…just laid a trap that's wiped out of the Government," he said, "And left Lumic in charge."

Pete rolled his eyes, "If I was a part of that, do you think I'd leave my wife inside?"

Ricky shrugged, "Maybe you're plan went wrong," he said, "Still gives us the right to execute you, though."

"Talk about executions, you'll make ME your enemy," the Doctor intervened, narrowing his eyes, "And take some good advice…you _don't_ wanna do that."

Laila stared at him for a moment, an undetectable emotion in her eyes. The Time Lord turned his head to see her looking at him and he smiled a little. Laila closed her eyes and averted her attention to the others, missing the slightly wounded look on his face when she did. Rose, however, did and frowned deeply.

"All the same," Ricky continued, "We have evidence that says Pete Tyler's been working for Lumic since 20.5."

Rose stared at her father, taken aback, "Is that true?" she asked, silently hoping it wasn't, but given by the uncomfortable look on his face it was looking like a 'yes'.

"Tell 'em, Mrs. M."

"We've got a government mole who feeds us information," Mrs. Moore explained, "Lumic's private files, his South American operations….the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week."

"Broadcast from Gemini?" Pete guessed.

"And how do you know that?" Ricky asked, glaring at him.

"I'm Gemini," he revealed, "That's ME."

"Yeah, well you would say that."

He shook his head, "Encrypted wavelength six-five-seven using binary nine."

Ricky and Jake glanced at one another, stunned looks on their faces.

"That's the only reason I was working for Lumic," he continued, "To get information. I thought I was broadcasting to the Security Services, and what do I get? Scooby Doo and his gang. They've even got the van!" he let out a breath, exasperated.

"No, no, no!" Mickey argued, "But the Preachers know what they're doing. Ricky said he's London's Most Wanted!"

"Yeah, that's not exactly…." Ricky started with a shamed expression on his face.

"Not exactly what?"

"I'm London's Most Wanted for…." he smiled sheepishly, "Parking tickets."

The Doctor and Laila smiled at that while Rose raised her eyebrows.

"Great," Pete groaned.

"They were deliberate!" Rickey defended himself, "I was fighting the system! Park anywhere, that's me."

"Good policy," the Doctor agreed, "I do much the same. I'm the Doctor, by the way, if anyone's interested…"

"And I'm Rose," Rose greeted with a wave, "Hello!"

"Even better," Pete grumbled, "That's the name of my dog. Still…at least I've got the catering staff on my side."

She looked at him, "I know you weren't a traitor," she told him quietly.

"Why's that, then?" he asked, a frown on his face.

She looked at the Doctor, who wasn't looking at her, but at Laila who was talking quietly with Mickey. The Time Lord a small frown on his face, his eyes narrowed down a bit as he tried to determine what they were talking about. Her jaw tensed, "I just did," she told Pete as he looked between the two.

"They took my wife," he said.

"She might still be alive," she tried to assure him, for his and her sake.

"That's even worse. 'Cos that's what Lumic does. He takes the living…and he turns them into those machines."

"Cybermen," the Doctor and Laila said at the same time, the Doctor glancing at Laila who was trying not to look at him at the moment.

He stared at for another moment, and then looked back at the others, "They're called Cybermen," he said before turning to Pete, "And I'd take those ear-pods off, if I were you."

Pete took them off and handed them over.

"You never know….Lumic could be listening," he pulled out the sonic, flashing it over the ear pieces and disabling them, "But he's overreached himself. He's still just a businessman. He's assassinated the President. All we need to do is get to the city and inform the authorities. Because I promise you," he eyes held a dark promise, "this ends tonight."

S.S

"My everlasting children," Lumic began, looking out into his office at several Cybermen, "…tell me…how does it feel?"

"We feel nothing," one of them said.

"But in your mind?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "What do you think?"

"We think the same. We are uniform."

"But you think of….what?"

"We think of the humans," he said, "We think of their difference and their pain. They suffer in the skin, they must be upgraded."

"Excellent," Lumic grinned, pleased at the answer, "Then let's begin! Computer…identify John Lumic."

"Voice print acknowledged," the computer announced.

"Activate ear-pod primary sequence."

"Please state area of activation."

"The City of London. I've just declared Independence. Begin transmission!" Lumic ordered before he sat back and watched as his plan unfolded.

S.S

On the streets of London, people walked about, going about their usual evening business when an alarm rang out and they all came to halt, as if in a trance. At once, and together, they all turned and began to walk in the same general direction.

S.S

"All of London has been sealed off," a news reported stated, "There are reports of an army…an army of metal men. All citizens should remove their ear-pods. Repeat: remove all ear-pods. London has been placed under martial law. If you're hearing this, stay in your homes. I repeat: stay in your homes."

S.S

The Doctor, Laila, Rose, Mickey, Pete, and the Preachers walked along the street where all the people were marching towards the same destination. They watched them with bemused expressions.

"What the hell…?" Jake said.

"What's going on?" Rose asked.

"It's the ear-pods," the Doctor explained, "Lumic's taking control."

"Can't we just…I dunno, take them off?" she said, reaching up to one man to do so.

"Don't!" he called out, stopping her, "Cause a brainstorm. Human Race…" he shook his head, "For such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life," he turned and spotted Laila standing a short ways away from them, staring at the people as they walked by. He followed her gaze to see a couple of children wandering past as well, the same hypnotized look on their face, and he walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We're gonna stop this, ok?"

She nodded silently, then moved past him and over to Mickey, who placed an arm around her comfortingly. He watched them and sighed. He supposed…no….he _knew_ he deserved that, after what he did to her. He had to make it up to her, somehow…

"Hey," his eyes snapped forwards to see Jake and Ricky peering around the corner, crouched down near the ground, "Come and see."

He along with the others joined them in looking around the wall. They all watched as a row of Cybermen marched alongside the people.

"Where are they all going?" Rose questioned.

"I don't know," the Doctor frowned, "Lumic must have a base of operation."

"Battersea," Pete said immediately, "That's where he was building his prototypes."

"Why's he doing it?"

"Is…is he dying?" Laila asked, turning her head to Pete.

"Yes…" he nodded, "This all started out as a way of life by keeping the brain alive. At any cost," he frowned, "How'd you know?"

She shook her head, "Death…can make a sane man go insane," she simply said, "Just think, how many people committed a crime to save their life…it makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

The others stared at her for a moment, contemplating the question before averting their attention back to the Cybermen. Rose looked at the Doctor, frowning at his slightly soft gaze on the Time Lady, who had her back turned so she didn't notice, "The thing is," she spoke, gaining his attention, "I've seen the Cybermen before, haven't I? That head…those handle shapes in Van Statten's museum."

"Ah," the Doctor nodded, recalling that adventure, "There are Cybermen in our universe. They started on an ordinary world just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy. This lot are a parallel version, and they're starting from scratch right here on earth."

Pete eyed them, an odd look on his face, "What the hell are you two on about?" he asked.

"Never mind that," Ricky interrupted, "Come on, we need to get out of the City," he watched the Cybermen approach just down the street, "Okay, split up…Mrs. Moore, you look after _that_ bloke," he nodded at Pete, "Jake, distract them, go right, I'll go left, we'll meet back at Bridge Street. Move," he ran off in one direction, Jake in the other.

Mickey turned to Laila, "I'm going with him," he told her, "You ok?"

Laila nodded and gave him a thumbs up sign, "Go," she waved him off, looking on as he ran off after Ricky. She let out a breath and turned to face the others.

"Come on," Mrs. Moore called, "Let's go."

They all ran off as the Cybermen marched towards them.

"There!" she pointed, turning and leading them down a side alley, with some Cybermen still in pursuit.

S.S

Ricky and Mickey came to a fork in the road and halted, out of breath, "Which way?" Mickey asked, "I don't know where we are."

"Did they see us?" Ricky questioned, looking around.

"Do they know where we are?"

"I think they saw us. I bet they can see in the dark…"

"I bet they got satellites…"

"I bet they saw us in the dark…"

"They know where we are," Ricky and Mickey said at the same time, making them look at each other.

"I don't get it," Ricky frowned, "What is it with you? You are exactly like me."

"I dunno," Mickey shrugged, "I reckon you're braver."

"Oh yeah," he agreed, "Ten times. Still, your friends aren't bad. I'll give you that."

"Oh, that's the Doctor and Rose…." he trailed off, thinking about that for a moment, "''Can't really call them friends. Laila definitely is though."

"Ah," Ricky nodded, "Is she with you? You too seem kinda chummy."

Mickey's eyes widened, "No! No, no, no," he shook his head frantically, earning an amused look from his duplicate, "We just met not too long ago…but it's almost like she understands what I deal with, ya know? With life," he chuckled, "Besides, the Doctor would probably kill me if I stepped over that boundary. Doesn't even realize…."

"I didn't ask for your life's story," Ricky held up his hand, signaling for him to stop, "Nevertheless, you're not that bad."

"D'you think?" he asked.

"Yeah, I suppose."

Behind them the sound of marching feet approaching quickly ended their discussion. They spun around to see a couple of Cybermen approaching, "Cybermen," Mickey said.

"Split up!" he and Ricky said in unison before running off in opposite directions.

S.S

The Cybermen marched down the street while the Doctor, Laila, Rose, Pete and Mrs. Moore crouched down behind a pile of rubbish and dustbins. Rose clutched onto Pete's hand, trying not to make a noise as the metal men stopped as if they were about to investigate the trash, but the Doctor pointed his sonic up in the direction. It bleeped and they went about their way. Rose let go of Pete's hand and stood up, glancing at him as he did at her, a confused expression on his face.

"Go," the Doctor whispered as they all crept from behind the dustbins and ran in the other direction.

S.S

Ricky ran hard and long, the Cybermen right on his tail. He twisted around in the other direction when he was met by another group of them. He ran down a side alley and found himself face to face with a metal fence, rattling on it, only to see it was locked. Mickey appeared on the other side.

"Come on!" he shouted, growing more panicked with each second as his double started climbing up, "Come on! Come on!"

He let out breath as Ricky made it to his side, only to take it back as one of the Cybermen quickly grabbed his foot loosely. Electricity travelled through his body and he felt himself falling and everything got dark, but he felt warm, so warm. What was going on?"

Mickey watched, wide-eyed as Ricky fell to ground in front of him, twitching. He swallowed and looked up at the Cybermen, who started back at him, before hauling the man up on his shoulders, running as quickly as he could away from the metal men.

S.S

The Cybermen marched forwards towards Lumic, Mr. Crane standing in the middle of them, "This one is unprogrammed," a Cyberman reported.

"Mr. Crane," Lumic spoke, disappointment lacing his voice, "I thought you were one of the faithful."

"Oh, that I am, sir," Crane nodded, "My ear-pod must've malfunctioned. For which I apologize," his boss narrowed his eyes, a suspicious look on his face, "If I er….might…?" Lumic nodded after a moment and his watched carefully as his associate took a few steps near his wheelchair, "I'd like to request an upgrade, sir. I've seen the future, and it's copyright Cybus Industries. Sign me up."

"A willing volunteer," Lumic considered the idea.

"You've known me a long time, sir," he continued, "Quite a team, you and," he was given a grimace-like smile at that, "I've been with you all the way. But believe me sir, knowing you so well…I know exactly what to do," with not a moment to waste, lunged forwards and ripped the breathing apparatus from Lumic, ignoring his shouts as he also smashed the life-support system built into the wheelchair.

"Help me!" Lumic managed to get out.

One of the Cybermen obliged and flung Crane across the room with one swipe of its arm.

"Die, you!" Crane shouted, mercilessly. The Cyberman just grabbed his neck and shocked him, sending him to the ground in a dead slump.

"Help me!" Lumic called out again.

"You are in pain," a Cyberman said, "We can remove pain forever."

"No!" he shook his head, finding it hard to breath, "Not yet! I'm not ready."

"We will give you immortality."

"I've told you," he gritted out, "I will upgrade. Only with my last breath!"

The Cyberman stomped 'round to the back of the wheelchair, "Then breathe no more," it hit the logo on it chest with its fist before rolling Lumic out, ignoring his cries.

"No! No! I command you, no!"

S.S

Jake ran over to where the Doctor, Rose, Laila, and Pete were waiting, "I ran past the river," he informed them, "You should've seen it, the whole City's on the watch. Hundreds of Cybermen all down the Thames."

"Hey!"

They all turned to see Mickey running at a slow pace over to them, Ricky slung around his arm. Rose gasped and moved over to them, the Doctor, Pete, and Jake following her. Laila stayed in her spot, eyeing Ricky with a curious look on her face.

"Please tell me you're Mickey," Rose said, looking between the two.

"Yeah, it's me," Mickey nodded, "I don't know if he's…" he looked at Jake and Mrs. Moore who could only stare at their fallen leader, "I couldn't check. The Cybermen. I'm sorry if he…"

"Shut up," Jake interrupted him, a cold look in his eyes, "Don't talk about him. You're _nothing_, nothing you hear?"

"Now, there's no need for that. He's not dead, you know?"

They all looked over to see Laila standing there, "But the Cybermen….I…I saw him get electrocuted!" Mickey argued, confused. The Time Lady simply smiled and walked over to them, reaching into both their pockets, pulling out two twin spherical devices.

"These are electromagnetic disablers," she said, "Blocks out most electric waves," she looked up at Mickey, a small smile on her face, "You didn't really think I'd let you go out there, with Cybermen on the loose nonetheless, without some form of protection…did you?"

Mickey stared at her, stunned for a second before a smile made its way to his face, "Brilliant."

"No."

They turned to see the Doctor staring at the Time Lady, "No, it was genius," he said, an amazed look on his face. Now that was a feat within itself. There were many things that grabbed his attention, many, many things indeed that interested him and made him jump up and down in glee like a little school boy….but there were very few things he'd seen or witnessed that made him just stand there in complete awe.

She was amazing, just simply amazing.

"So…he's not dead," Jake said, making them look at him.

"No," Laila answered, "But he will be sleeping for a while…"

"How long's a while?" he pressed.

She closed her eyes and let out a breath, "Do you really want to know?" she asked, "I'm sorry, but I don't know when he'll wake up…it all depends on how much shock he received. If not much it could take less than say a month for him to recover…if a lot then, well…it'll take longer."

There was a moment of silence as they all processed the information.

"Well," the Doctor spoke, breaking the moment, "We can't just stand around and wait for him to wake up, we'll check on him when London is safe. We'll put him somewhere safe, then we move on."

The group nodded, agreeing with that plan.

S.S

Smart move Laila, smart move indeed. Now I bet you're all wondering…_why_ did I save Ricky? Will Mickey still be staying in the parallel Universe? Well, yes Mickey will still be staying, that part won't change…but the reasons why I'm keeping Ricky as well will come along at the end of this season and the other reason at the end of Season 4. The end of this season will be a little hilarious given the Doctor's reactions to _certain_ things said about our resident Time Lady…

Hehe, now what about the Doctor…hm…he's trying his very best to get Laila's attention, isn't he? I told you he'd start to be sweet on her, but this is only the beginning of that and the beginning of Rose's jealousy and resentment. That makes you wonder what's in store, huh?


	14. Age of Steel: Captured

Quick Note: My mom got internet at my granddad's house, yay! So that means that I can update like I want to now, though it is kind of slow, but I'm sure everything will be fine…I hope.

* * *

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Age of Steel

Chapter 14: Captured

* * *

After they found a safe spot to set down Ricky safely, somewhere where the Cybermen couldn't find him, or anyone else other than them for that matter, they headed off towards the the Thames.

"The whole of London's been sealed off," the Doctor explained to the others, "and the entire population's been taken inside that place," he pointed to Battersea, "To be 'converted'."

"We've gotta get in there and shut it down," Rose stated. She didn't know what it was like to be converted into something else, but they couldn't just stand there and let all those people die. She couldn't let her mother die and become like one of those metal machines, who's only goal in life is to kill and change those not of their kind.

"How do we do that?" Mickey raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'll think of the something," the Doctor said, waving off the question.

"You're just making this up as you go along!" he accused.

"Yuuup," the Time Lord smiled, "But I do it brilliantly."

Rose smirked and even Mickey had to agree with that. The Doctor glanced over at Laila to see her focus was on the building across the water, a sad look on her face. He reached over and took her hand, giving it a light squeeze of comfort. She didn't respond to his gesture, but neither did she pull away. He let a small smile grace his face.

It was something at least…maybe they'd be alright after this…maybe…

S.S

Mrs. Moore tapped a few keys on her laptop, looking up when a diagram of a 3D model displayed on the screen, "That's a schematic of the old factory," she told the group, "Look, cooling tunnels…underneath the plan….big enough to walk through."

Everyone listened intently on as she explained all of this, except Jake, who was standing some distance away, not really bothering to listen. His thoughts were still on Ricky, and how it all could have come to this, to this madness. And what about this Doctor? How did he know so much about those…Cybermen?

"We go under there and up into the control centre?" the Doctor guessed and pointed to it on the screen.

"Hmm," she contemplated the idea.

"There's another way in," Pete spoke up, gaining their undivided attention, "Through the front door. If they've taken Jackie for upgrading, that's how she'll get in…"

"We can't just go strolling up," Jake countered, finally joining the group.

"Or, we could…" Mrs. Moore said, "….with these…" she pulled out a pair of ear-pods from her bag. The Doctor took one, examining it, "Fake ear-pods. Dead. No signal. But put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd."

"Then that's my job," Pete nodded.

"You'd have to show NO emotion," the Doctor advised him, "None at all. ANY sign of emotion would give you away."

Rose turned to Mrs. Moore, "How many of those have you got?" she asked.

"Just two sets."

"Okay," she nodded, "If that's the best way of finding Jackie…" she stood and walked over to Pete, "I'm coming with you,"

"Why does she matter to YOU?" he asked, his brow furrowed. It was like he knew her from somewhere, that he _should_ know her, but for the love of all humanity he couldn't figure it out. It was strange, but yet comforting at the same time.

"We haven't got time," she cut him off, "Doctor, I'm going with him, and that's that."

The Doctor stared at her, "No stopping you, is there?"

She smirked, "Nope."

He chucked her the other ear-pod, "Tell you what…we can take the ear-pods at the same time. Give people their minds back. So they don't walk into that place like sheep. Jakey-boy?" he led the boy further up the hill for a better look at Battersea and Lumic's zeppelin stations right above it, "Lumic's transmitting the control signal, and it must be from over there…" he pointed the sonic in its direction, "There it is…on the zeppelin, see? Great big transmitter. Good thing Lumic likes showing off. Reckon you could take it out?"

Jake smiled, "Consider it done," he nodded.

The Doctor patted him on the shoulder, then headed back towards the others, "Mrs. Moore…" he called, "…would you care to accompany me into the cooling tunnels?"

"How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels?" she said.

He nodded before looking at Laila, "Laila," he began, "Would you like to join us?" he swallowed a bit as she seemed to narrow her eyes at the suggestion, "Three is always better than one…"

Three was better than one? He mentally smacked himself at that.

Laila stared at him for a moment, "What about Mickey?" she asked and he frowned, glancing at the boy, who was standing slightly apart from the group.

"Mickey!" he nodded, pretending as if he knew he was standing there, "You can…ahm…"

She shook her head at him. He still didn't get it, did he?

"What, stay out of trouble?" Mickey sarcastically suggested, "Be the tin dog? No, those days are over. I'm going with Jake."

"I don't need you, idiot," Jake argued.

"I'm not an idiot!" he snapped, glowering at him, "You got that?!" he let out a breath, calming himself down, "I'm offering to help."

"Whatever," he responded before he turned and walked off, Mickey right behind him.

"Mickey?" the Doctor called.

The boy turned back, his eyebrow raised in a question.

"Good luck."

Mickey blinked, a little taken aback by that. He glanced over at Laila, to see a slightly surprised look on her face as well, before it faltered into a blank one, "Yeah," he nodded, "You too. Rose, I'll see you later."

"Yeah, you better," she pointed at him warningly.

"If we survive this, I'll see you back at the TARDIS," the Doctor said, sincerely. The man was just full of surprises, wasn't he?"

"That's a promise," he nodded, "But promise me something, Doctor," the Time Lord raised an eyebrow, "Take care of her," he smiled at Laila, "Because if _she_ gets hurt while she's with _you_…" he pointed at the man, "Well, I don't need to finish that sentence, do I?"

"No," he shook his head, "And I will, _that's_ a promise," he looked over at the Time Lady at that, showing the seriousness of his statement on his face.

With a small smirk on his face, Mickey turned and walked off, confident. He glanced over his shoulder to see Rose envelope the Doctor in a tight hug. He noted the slightly uncomfortable look on the man's face, as well as the quick look at Laila, who was staring across the river once more.

He frowned a little and turned away, a worried look on his face

S.S

Mrs. Moore descending down the ladder into the cooling tunnels, followed by Laila, then the Doctor, "It's freezing in here," Mrs. Moore commented.

"Any sign of a light switch?" the Doctor asked, looking around.

"Can't see a thing," she laughed, "But I've got these…" she rummaged around her bag and handed the Doctor a light that could be tied around his head, "A device for every occasion…"

"Ooh!" he nodded.

"Put it on," she told him.

She watched as he stared at the contraption before placing it on Laila's head, which turned to face him as he did so. He smiled at her as she looked away, a small, very well hidden, smile of her own on her face.

"Haven't got a hotdog in there, have you?" he asked, looking at Mrs. Moore, serious about his question, "I'm starving."

The woman laughed again, shaking her head, "Of all the things to wish for!" she said, "That's mechanically recovered meat!"

"I know," he shrugged, "It's the Cyberman of food…but it's tasty."

She handed him a torch light, "A proper torch as well," she said.

He took it from her hand, "Let's see where we are," he flicked the switch on and took a few steps forwards. The first thing they saw was a Cyberman, or Cybermen, as there were hundreds of them lining up and down the tunnel, "Already converted, just paralyzed. Come on!" he grabbed Laila's hand with his free one, using the other to light their way with the torch. After a moment, Mrs. Moore followed behind them.

The Doctor tapped one of the Cybermen one the nose, or where it should've been, earning no response in return, "Let's go slowly," he advised, "Keep an eye out for trip systems."

S.S

A huge lorry drove away from the power station revealing the Cybermen marching in the opposite direction. The whole place was crowded it with the hypnotized, "Chamber six now open for human upgrading," a Cyberman called over the speakers.

Rose and Pete walked into the building, remaining unseen.

"Chamber seven now open for human upgrading."

They watched as a row of brain-dead people stomped into the building alongside the Cybermen.

"Chamber eight now open for human upgrading."

Pete glanced at Rose, while keeping his eyes on the scene in front of them, "Just put them on," he told her, gesturing towards the ear-pods, "Don't show any emotion. No signs, nothing. Okay?"

"Don't worry," Rose encouraged, "We can do it."

"Chamber seven now open for human upgrading."

They each put on their ear-pieces, making sure they wouldn't fall out at any moment, "We could die here," Pete said, now looking at her, "Why are you doing this?"

She was quiet for a moment, "Let's just say I'm doing it for my mum and dad," she said, "Right, let's go."

They stood and came out of their hiding place.

"Chamber eight now open for human upgrading."

Pete gave Rose's hand a light squeeze before they filed in line with the other people.

"Chamber nine now open for human upgrading. Chamber ten now open for human upgrading. Chamber eleven now open for human upgrading."

They walked in the line, making sure not so show even a flicker of emotion on their faces.

S.S

Jake climbed up a ladder they found leading to the roof of the building, seeing the zeppelin parked on top of it, he smiled upon seeing it just as Mickey reached the top. He crept stealthily behind a wall, seeing the guards standing beneath the zeppelin, and motioned for Mickey to follow.

"Two guards," he said, "We can take them."

"Don't kill them," Mickey advised.

"Who put YOU in charge?"

"If you kill them, what's the difference between you and a Cyberman?"

Jake paused at that. He actually had a good point, "Well," he thought about it, "I suppose we could use these," he handed Mickey a small corked bottle.

Mickey raised an eyebrow, "Smelling salts?"

"Bit stronger than that," he explained, "One of Mrs. Moore's little tricks. Should knock them out. Three, two, one…"

They ran out from behind the wall and crept up behind the guards, grabbing them from behind before shoving the salts underneath their noses. It didn't take long for them to fall unconscious.

"There's gotta be more guards on board," Mickey said, glancing up at the giant balloon warily.

"Then let's go get them," Jake remarked.

They both made their way up the ladder leading into the zeppelin.

S.S

"Oh," she shrugged, "I used to be ordinary. Work at Cybus Industries. '95. 'Till one day, I find something I'm not supposed to. A file on the mainframe. All I did was read it. Then suddenly, I've got met with guns knocking in the middle of the night," she frowned, thinking about that day, "Life on the run. Then I found the Preachers. They needed a techy, so I…I just sat down and taught myself everything."

Laila looked at her, "I did the same," she said, "Taught myself everything I needed to know."

"Worth the years, in't?"

"And so much more."

"What about Mr. Moore?" the Doctor asked with a small smile on his face. He found he wasn't surprised to learn that she taught herself all she knew. It only made her even more brilliant in his eyes, to be honest.

"Well, he's not called 'Moore'," she corrected, "I got that from a book, 'Mrs. Moore'. It's safer not to use real names. But he thinks I'm dead. It was only way to keep him safe. Him and the kids. What about you two? Got any family, or are you both…?" she motioned towards their hands, which were still together.

The Doctor's eyes widened at the suggestion, "No, no, no, no, no!" he shook his head frantically, "We…we're _not_ together," he swallowed, "We just met! That…that would be strange, and _very_ wrong."

Mrs. Moore stared at him with an entertained countenance, while Laila just furrowed her brow, confused.

"Alright," Mrs. Moore raised her hands in defense, "Gotcha. Definitely _not_ together."

"So," he said, clearing his throat and changing the subject, "What's your real name?"

"Angela Price," she said, "Don't tell a soul," she pointed at them both warningly.

"Not a word," he promised.

Laila nodded, "Your secret is safe with me," she said.

They continued on walking and behind them a red button behind of the Cybermen lit up and started to bleep quietly. The Cyberman slowly turned its head in their direction.

S.S

An alarm went off inside of Lumic's office, alerting the Cybermen nearby, "Movement in Deepcold Six," it reported.

"Awaken the army," another Cyberman ordered.

S.S

Mrs. Moore nearly jumped as a Cyberman's hand twitched slightly, "Doctor?" she called, "Did that one just move?"

"It's just the torchlight," he reassured her, "Keep going, come on," in front of them one of the Cybermen turned to face them, "They're waking up…RUN!"

As fast as they could they ran down the cooling tunnel, running past all the Cybermen who were springing to life one after another. They all began to march forwards just as the trio reached the ladder at the end of the tunnel. The Doctor climbed up first, followed by Laila, and then Mrs. Moore. He quickly got out the sonic and attempted to open the seal.

"Open it!" Mrs. Moore ushered, her heart pounded as the metal men drew closer, "Open it!"

Not a second later, he managed to open it and tossed the door aside. He climbed up and helped the women get through as well. After they all got through the trapdoor, the Doctor slammed it just as the Cybermen approached at the bottom. He locked it with his sonic and let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, good team," he nodded at Laila and Mrs. Moore, who were both catching their own breath, "Very good team."

S.S

Rose and Pete filed into the factory with the rest of the hypnotized folk, "Units upgrading now five-thousand-five-hundred. Repeat: six-thousand-five-hundred and rising," a Cyberman called over the intercom.

They walked alongside the unconverted, hordes of others maintaining order in other sections of the area. A Cyberman stepped out in front of Rose and Pete, stopping them from going any further, "You will wait," it told her, then walked off.

Pete looked at Rose, "Are you okay?" he asked.

"No," she told him truthfully. She really wasn't okay, and why should she be? She was in a factory full of people waiting to be converted into those metal men! The Doctor wasn't here to make her feel better, no, he was off in the cooling tunnels with Laila and that other lady. She was probably working that innocent charm of hers on him right at this very second.

She sighed. The whole revealing her for what she really was thing wasn't going as fast as she had hoped. Everything was looking brighter when the Doctor ignored her, now it just seemed he was _begging_ for her attention.

And, she had to have done something to Mickey as well. She had never heard him raise his voice like that, nor sound so passionate and serious about what he was saying, besides when it dealt with technology. The Time Lady must've tricked him or something to make him snap at her like that, to snap at the Doctor like that. Yeah…that was a logical explanation…

"Chamber Six now open for human upgrading," the Cyberman called over the speakers, knocking her from her thoughts. People began to file forwards, ready to be upgraded. Rose watched, with a spark of fear rising in her, as she saw the flames erupting from the incinerators, "All reject stock will be incinerated."

A woman walked into one of the cells, the doors closing behind her. A couple of blades swooped down on her and a second later she came out of the other end, Cyber-converted.

"Any sign of Jackie?" Pete asked Rose. A Cyberman turned as though hearing him and he froze, waiting in silent fear as the metal man stomped over to him.

"You are Peter Tyler. Confirm: you are Peter Tyler."

"Confirmed," he nodded uncertainly.

"I recognize you," the metal man continued, "I went first. My name was Jacqueline Tyler."

Rose gasped, "No!"

"What?!" Pete's eyes widened and it felt like everything was going in slow motion. He might've been going into shock….

"They are unprogrammed," the Jackie-bot said, "Restrain."

"You're lying," he argued desperately, "You're not her! You're not my Jackie!"

Several Cybermen stepped forwards, ready to hold back him Rose. Pete lunged towards the Cyberman, or woman, who once was Jackie.

"No," she said in a metallic voice, "I am Cyber-form. Once I was Jacqueline Tyler."

"But you CAN'T be….not her….!" Rose cried, swallowing back her tears. Even though the woman wasn't technically her mother, she still looked like her mother, and they shared the same qualities so…overall, it broke her heart.

"Her brain is inside this body," the Cyber-Jackie said.

"Jacks," Pete said, "I came to save you."

"This man worked with Cybus Industries to create our species," she said, "He will be rewarded by force. Take them to Cyber Control."

The Cyber-Jackie stomped away while Pete and Rose were grabbed from behind and dragged away, "They kill her…" Rose breathed, "They just took her and killed her!"

"Maybe there's a chance," Pete mumbled, "I dunno. Maybe we can reverse it."

"There's nothing we can do," she shook her head.

"But if…if she remembers…." he looked up to try and spot out Jackie, but all the Cybermen looked alike so it was like trying to find a specific needle in a box of needles, "Where is she? Which one was it? Which one was her?"

"They all look the same!" she frowned, furrowing her brow, before being shoved along.

S.S

After successfully drugging another guard, Mickey and Jake walked into the control room of the zeppelin, "Nice one," Jake nodded, looking around, "Nobody's home. Find the transmitter's control."

"What do they look like?" Mickey inquired.

"Well, I don't know…" he frowned, "they might have 'TRANSMITTER CONTROLS' written in big red letters, just look!" they both turned to look around the area for it, only to jump seeing a Cyberman standing in a dark alcove, "Cyberman!" he held his gun up at it, but it didn't react. He and Mickey glanced at each other, confused, before he moved closer and turned on a light switch, illuminating the alcove. Mickey also took a few steps forward to examine it, to see that it was indeed lifeless.

"It's dead," he said, "I don't think it was ever alive," he tapped it on the head, a hollow echo emitted back at him, "It's empty. No brain. It's just a robot suit. It's for display."

"Okay," Jake nodded, "Transmitter."

They headed off in different directions to search for the machine.

S.S

The Doctor, Laila, and Mrs. Moore edged along a dark, metal tunnel. Suddenly, a Cybermen stepped out in front of them, making them jump back, "You are not upgraded," it said.

"Yeah? Well, upgrade THIS!" Mrs. Moore countered before throwing a small metal device at the metal man. It attached itself to its chest, causing electric waves to travel through the metal body. The Cyberman shook and jerked before slumping to the floor. The Doctor grinned and Laila frowned, closing her eyes for a moment, trying to block the image from her mind.

"What the hell was that thing?!" he asked as they slowly approached the body.

"Electromagnetic bomb," she answered proudly, "Takes out computers, I figured it might stop the cyber-suit."

"You figured right," he nodded, "Now, let's have a look…" he took out his sonic screwdriver and bent down, holding it against the Cybus logo on its chest, "Now…know your enemy…and the logo on the front…Lumic's turned them into a brand," he took off the logo, revealing the inside of the suit, "Heart of steel…but look…"

He dipped his fingers inside the Cyberman and drew out some tissue-like strands. He looked up to see Mrs. More grimacing while Laila had her head turned, and he frowned.

"Is that flesh?" Mrs. Moore asked, a disgusted look on her face.

"Hmm," he examined it, "Central nervous system. Artificially grown then threaded throughout the suit so it responds like a living thing. Well, it IS a living thing. Oh, but look…" he pointed carefully to an electronic chip, "Emotional inhibitor. Stops them feeling anything."

"But…" she frowned, "Why?"

"Because," Laila answered quietly, "Somewhere it's still human, the brain is kept to help control it. Imagine if it were set free, that they would see themselves in this state…" she took a breath, "How can they go on? They wouldn't…the truth would kill them…"

The Doctor stared at her, a soft look in his eyes, before he averted his attention to the Cyberman.

"So they cut out the one thing that makes them human," Mrs. Moore said.

"Because they have to," he told her.

"Why am I cold?" the Cyberman spoke.

"Oh, my God," she gasped, "It's alive. It can FEEL."

"We broke the inhibitor," he explained, leaning over the Cyberman, touching it's head, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Why so cold?" it asked again.

He blinked, almost able to hear the pain in its voice, "Can you remember your name?" he asked.

"Sally," it answered, "Sally Phelan."

"You're a woman…." Mrs. Moore nodded.

"Where's Gareth?" she asked.

"Who's Gareth?"

"He can't see me," she said, "It's unlucky the night before."

Laila's eyes widened and she bit her lip, closing her eyes again. She felt a hand on hers and she looked up to see the Doctor looking at her, a comforting smile on his face. She stared back at him before sighing, removing her hand from his, trying not to see his slightly hurt look.

She didn't understand it, at all. One moment he was nice to her and then ignoring her like the plague, and now he was being nice again! It was kind of stressing her out. She wasn't sure of whether it was because he

felt sorry her, like Rose said, and that's why he was all of sudden being kind again or if there was some deeper meaning to it.

"You're getting married," Mrs. Moore realized.

"Sorry," the Doctor said quietly, "You sleep now, Sally. Just go to sleep," he pointed the sonic inside the suit, shutting off the suit, "Sally Phelan didn't die for nothing," he paused as it dawned on him, "'Cos that's the key. The emotional inhibitor…if we could find the code behind it, the cancellation code, then feed it throughout the system into every Cyberman's head…"

Mrs. Moore nodded while Laila just lowered her eyes.

"They'd realize what they are…." he continued, his gaze landing on Laila who looked up at him as he did. He could see in her expression, she didn't want to do it as much as he didn't, but what other choice did they have? Let them live on ignorant of who they were, to go throughout time as cold killing machines? Even if it wasn't their choice to make for them, it was their responsibility to show them the truth.

"It would kill them," Laila said.

"Can we do that?" he furrowed his brow.

"We've got to," Mrs. Moore spoke up, "Before they kill everyone else," she looked between the two to see doubt in their eyes, "There's no choice, Doctor, Laila," she let out a breath, "It has to be done."

She stood and Laila gasped as a Cyberman, which was standing behind her, reached out and grabbed her by the neck, electrocuting and killing her. The Doctor stood and took Laila by the hand, pulling her behind him in a protective manner, "You didn't have to kill her!" he shouted at the metal man. He could feel the Time Lady shaking a little behind him as she stared at Mrs. Moore's body on the ground. He ground his teeth.

He hurt her, he knew, and he knew he didn't like seeing her hurt…or upset for that matter, another thing he was guilty of. He promised himself he wouldn't do it again, and to not allow anyone, or anything else to do so.

"Sensors detect duo binary vascular systems," the Cyberman said, "You are unknown upgrades. You will be taken for analysis."

The Doctor eyed them disgustedly, but allowed himself to be led off by the other Cyberman, keeping a close eye on Laila while she walked next to him.

S.S

Ah, now we have Laila's thoughts on this transition the Doctor has gone through, but don't worry she will talk to him with it, in a conversation at the end of this episode. Like I said, it'll make him feel guiltier than he already is ;)

I could have saved Mrs. Moore, but it'll actually lead to the conversation that'll be between Laila and the Doctor. Let's just say that a certain someone will say something not nice to her about that, which will cause our Time Lord to react. It might be who you think or it might not be…. who's to say right?

I didn't get to the reviews for chapter 12, so I'll be posting my responses for them here along with 13, okay?

Guest: Yeah! I love it when author's make Mickey shine more than the show does, so I decided to incorporate that into my own story, and because I felt like he really was brilliant.

Shannon the chameleon: I think we're all proud of Mickey for doing something no one has really done: stand up to the Doctor, outside of his enemies that is.

E-man-dy-S: I think that goes with every good story. Have you read LizzeXX's Doctor Who stories? Man, I'm glad she uploads her stuff in the morning and not in the afternoon, like sometimes yours truly does, because it's just that good. Well, at least he knows what he's done to her now. He'll come soon to realize how Rose treats her, like I said he'll find out what she said to Laila on that ship in 'The Girl in the Fireplace.'

Dream lighting: Nah, he might be able to stand up to her, but he wouldn't rat her out like that…but that's not to say it'll always be that way ;)

Mionerocks: Thank! Um, let's just say the information they have will surprise our fellow Time Lady, can't say why though. Rose will do, or perhaps say, something in Season 4 when all the companions come together to save the Universe that will make a couple of people react in a not so good way, and like I indirectly stated before, the Doctor will be one of them. By that point he and Laila will be in a spot where he'll react more…emotionally…to that than finding out what Rose said to her on the ship beforehand. Out of all the moments with Jack in this story, their first meeting, to me that is, is the most hilarious. Some things are said and there are reactions, very funny reactions to those things.

Time-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: I'm glad you like Laila, I'm sure she'd like you too if you met in real life. No, they haven't known each other before, but his reaction and the explanation for the way he acts around her will be explained either in between Doomsday and The Runaway Bride, or at the end of one of those episodes, I'm leading towards doing it at the end of Doomsday, 'cos I think there's a time skip between when Rose gets trapped in Pete's world and when the Doctor is able to reach her, but I don't know, we'll see when we get there. Hehe, Doomsday will be an interesting episode…it'll make you laugh…perhaps cry…and maybe go 'awww!'

The Inquirer: Before I get started, I just wanted to say that I LOVE your username. Okay, now to the point. Yeah, I think Jake and Ricky had a close brotherly relationship or maybe a best friend kind of one, so to have him be gone so suddenly, he just snapped. What do you mean hear her in his mind? If you mean Time Lord's natural ability to hear other Time Lords, then that's not happening in this story. Nope, that kind of connection only comes with something that will be revealed at the end of this series ;) By the way, her name is _Laila_, not _Leila_, don't know if you put that there by accident or not. Laila and Rose _will_ have a not-so-nice conversation, I can tell you that much. Mickey _has_ seen what Laila is making, she asked him to help her, remember? Jack, Jack, Jackity boy…hahahaha…just wait until he arrives, it's going to be hilarious!


	15. Age of Steel: Explanations

A/N: Sorry about the late update, but apparently the internet my mother got was only for her use, so that she could do her homework. Honestly, I had no idea it was only to be used for that, and that it wasn't for everyday use, so…

Anyways, I guess I'll have to go back to my previous statement about how I cannot update like I want to until my grandfather gets his internet back on. Currently I'm not at my grandfather's house, I'm at my second cousin's, so they have internet and I can upload this, but I'm not going to always be here. My granddad said that he's going to get the internet back on Tuesday, so let's just hope it does…

* * *

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Age of Steel

Chapter 15: Explanations

* * *

Jake moved over to Mickey, who was standing by a panel labeled 'TRANSMITTER CONTROLS' in large letters, "The transmitter controls are sealed behind here," he explained to Jake, "We need like, an oxyacetylene or something."

"Oh, no I forgot to bring it with me," Jake feigned despair.

"Well," he looked at him, ignoring the sarcasm, "Then what do we do?"

"We'll crash the zeppelin."

"With us inside it?"

Jake shook his head, "We could set it to automatic and then just leg it!" he suggested, "Let's have a look," they both walked over to the controls and he began to tap on the keyboard, only to shake his head a moment later, "It's locked. There's gotta be an override…"

Mickey shoved him out of the way, "Let me have a go," he said, "I'm good with computers, trust me," his fingers got to work on the keyboard and he automatically went into concentration mode while Jake watched him. Unbeknownst to them, a tiny red light had started to flash and bleep quietly behind the seemingly hollow cyber-suit.

S.S

The Doctor and Laila were led into the main control room of Battersea. Laila glanced around to see Rose and Pete standing by the computers, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice as he turned to face her, "We've been captured, but don't worry," he smiled, before frowning seeing a slightly purple and blue ring around her arm, "You've been hurt…"

Laila followed his gaze to see the bruise as well, "Oh," she blinked, "Um…yeah," she looked up to see his gaze turn slightly hard, "I'm okay though, I tend to heal fast," she pulled down her sleeve to hide it, and his eyes snapped to her, "We should carry on, look," she nodded at Rose and Pete, "Rose and Pete."

The Doctor looked over to see them standing there. Rose, who had previously been glaring at the Time Lady, softened her gaze and turned to the Doctor, "Are you okay?" he asked, swallowing. He didn't know what he was more upset about, the fact that Laila was hurt, or the fact that he didn't notice it sooner. He had promised that he wouldn't let anything hurt her…and Mickey, he told him he'd do the same. Apparently he was bad at keeping promises…

"Yeah," she nodded, "But they got Jackie."

"We were too late," Pete said, his eyes downcast, "Lumic killed her."

"Then where is he?" the Doctor called, raising his voice, and narrowing his eyes as he looked around, "The famous Mr. Lumic? Don't we get a chance to meet our Lord and Master?"

"He had been upgraded," one of the Cybermen said.

"So he's just like you?"

"He is superior. The Lumic Unit has been designated Cyber Controller."

They all turned as the sliding doors behind them opened and Lumic, now Cyber-converted, rolled through them. He was sitting in an elaborate chair, decorated with wires and tubes. Pete and Rose stared in amazement while the Doctor and Laila frowned, shaking their heads lightly.

"This is The Age of Steel," the Cyber-Lumic said, "And I am its Creator."

S.S

"Almost there," Mickey mumbled, still typing on the computer.

"Not bad work," Jake nodded, approvingly. The Cybermen behind them flexed its fingers, raising its arm as it stepped out of the alcove, alerting the two men to its presence, "It's moving!" he and Mickey hurriedly moved out of the way, watching it with frightful expressions, "You said it was dead!"

"Yeah," he said, "But he's still a steel robot," he pushed away Jake's hand as he pulled out his gun, "Wait a minute. Hey, Cyberman, over here."

The Cyberman turned.

"Come on, you brainless lump of metal," it stomped towards them and he continued to beckon it forwards, "Come and have a go!"

The Cyberman raised its fist, ready to strike when Mickey and Jake ducked out of the way at the last second, causing its fist to slam into the transmitter controls instead. It exploded with blue sparks, destroying both the controls and the Cyberman.

S.S

All the people marching into the factory suddenly stopped as their ear-pods deactivated, relinquishing them of the Cyber-control. They all looked around in complete horror, realizing where they were, "Oh no!" a woman cried.

Panicking, everyone screamed and ran in different directions.

S.S

"The transmitter's down!" Mickey cheered, hugging Jake in their excitement.

S.S

The Doctor, Laila, Rose and Pete paused hearing the screams coming from around them. The Cybermen looked around, as if trying to indicate the source of the noise. A smile made its way on Laila's face as she figured out exactly what had happened.

"That's my friends at work," the Doctor said, surprising her with that statement, "Good boy! Mr. Lumic, I think that's a vote for free will," he winked at the metal man.

"I have factories waiting on seven continents," Cyber-Lumic stated, "If the ear-pods have failed, then Cybermen will take humanity by force. London has fallen. So shall the world."

S.S

"Hold on," Mickey muttered, back on the computer, "I've logged on to Cyber Control," he tapped on a few keys and a video popped up on the screen, showing footage of what was going on down in the control room, where the others were, "They're alive!" a grin broke out onto his face, "Laila! The Doctor and Rose, there they are!" he let out a sigh of relief seeing that they were alright, that Laila was alright, that the Doctor had kept up his end of their deal.

"Never mind them," Jake said, "What the hell is THAT thing?" he pointed his finger to where Lumic was sitting.

"Shh," he shushed him, "Has this thing got sound?"

He pressed a couple of more keys, allowing them to hear what was being said.

S.S

"I will bring peace to the world," Lumic said, "Everlasting peace…and unity…and uniformity."

Laila shook her head at that, "That's….a strange goal," she said, making them all look at her, "How can you _have_ peace when you have no heart? How can you _feel_ peace when you have no emotions? Unity? The only likeness you will have is that you look alike. Uniformity? The minds you take from these people, are all different, there's no equality in that…"

Pete nodded, agreeing with her, while Rose just turned her head. The Doctor stared at her, smiling proudly. She never did cease to amaze him. He turned to face Lumic, "And imagination?" he added, "What about that? The one thing that lead you here. Imagination…you're killing it, dead!"

"What are your names?" Lumic asked.

"Laila," Laila introduced.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor greeted.

"A redundant title," Cyber-Lumic said, "Doctors need not exist. Cybermen never sicken."

"Yeah, but that's it!" the Time Lord stepped forwards in his enthusiasm, "That's exactly the point!" he shook his head, despairingly, "Oh, Lumic, you're a clever man…I'd call you a genius, except me and Laila," he shot a grin at her before looking back ,"Are in the room. But everything you've invented, you did to fight your sickness. And that's brilliant. That is SO human. But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, then what's there left to strive for? Eh? The Cybermen won't advance. You'll just stop! You'll stay like this forever. A metal Earth with metal men and metal thoughts," he took a breath, "Lacking the one thing that makes this planet so ALIVE. PEOPLE. Ordinary, stupid, brilliant people."

"You are proud of your emotions?"

He nodded, "Oh, yes."

Lumic paused for a moment, "Then tell me, Doctor, Laila," he began, "Have you known grief…and rage…and pain?"

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "Yes, I have."

"Unfortunately so," Laila said, averting her eyes when the Doctor looked at her, a frown on his face.

"And they hurt?"

"Oh yes."

"Of course."

"I could set you free," Lumic offered, "Would you not want that? A life without pain?"

"You might as well kill me," Laila and the Doctor said in unison, seriousness written on their faces. They looked at each other before turning back to Lumic.

"Then I take that option," he said.

The Doctor shook his head, "It's not yours to take," he argued, "You're a CYBER controller. You don't control me, Laila, or anything with blood in its heart."

"You have no means of stopping me," he simply said, "I have an army. A species of my own."

"You just don't get it, do you?" he facepalmed, "An army's NOTHING. 'Cos those ordinary people…they're the key," he glanced at the security camera, "The most ordinary person could change the world."

S.S

Mickey nodded, agreeing with what was being said.

"Some ordinary man or woman…" the Doctor trailed, "Some idiot."

His head jerked up at that.

"All it takes is for him to find, say, the right numbers…say, the right codes…say, for example, the code behind the emotional inhibitor. The code right into front of him. 'Cos even an idiot knows how to use computers these days," with his mouth open, Mickey stared at the screen, a thoughtful look on his face, "Knows how to get past firewalls and passwords…knows how to find something encrypted in the Lumic Family Database, under…what was it, Pete? Binary what?"

"Binary 9," Pete said loudly, having caught onto what he was doing.

"Binary nine," Mickey whispered, getting to work on getting that in the system.

"An IDIOT could find that code," the Doctor continued, "The cancellation code. And he'd keep on typing. Keep on fighting," he took another glance into the camera, "Anything to save his friends…"

S.S

"Your words are irrelevant," Lumic said.

The Doctor grinned. Another thing about Cybermen, they completely lacked the human ability to detect obviousness, "Talk too much, that's my problem," he said, "Lucky I got you that cheap tariff, Rose. For all our long chats. On your PHONE," he raised his hand to his ear, like he was talking on the phone, sending another glance at the camera.

Laila smiled amusedly. He was being so completely OBVIOUS, and no one but her, Rose, and Pete, knew what he was doing, or at least caught onto it…it was kind of sad, really.

S.S

"The phone…" Mickey nodded, taking out his own mobile.

S.S

"You will be deleted," Lumic said.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "Delete, control, hash, all those lovely buttons," he smiled, "Then of course, my particular favourite…SEND," he pretended to be thinking, "And let's not forget how you seduced all those ordinary people in the first place," suddenly Rose's phone bleeped, "By making every bit of technology compatible with everything else…" he wandered over to a particular computer.

"It's for you," Rose said, throwing him her phone.

He caught it in his hand, "Like this," and with one single movement, he slammed it into a port. All of the Cybermen began to clutch onto their heads, moaning as their eyes open to what was in front of them, to who they were now.

S.S

Mickey and Jake jumped up and down in delight, "Yes!" they cheered.

S.S

The Doctor and Laila watched, solemnly, at the chaos in front of them, "I'm sorry," the Doctor whispered.

"At least now they know," Laila said.

"What have you done?!" Lumic cried, making them turned to face him.

"I gave them back their souls," the Doctor told him, "They can see what you've done, Lumic!" he sighed, "And it's killing them…." he grabbed Laila's hand and ran from the room with Rose and Pete right behind them.

"Delete! Delete! Delete!"

S.S

Small explosions erupted all over the factory, while the quartet ran from their lived, looking for a way out. The Doctor ran over to one door, only to reveal a wailing Cyberman behind it, and he shut it, "There's no way out!" he said.

S.S

Jake ran over to the wheel in the zeppelin, trying to turn it as fast as he could. Mickey turned to him, seeing what he was doing, "What're you doing?!" he asked.

"We've gotta get away," Jake told him, "If that factory blows up, this balloon's gonna ignite!"

"Take it back!" he ordered.

"Mickey," he looked at the boy, "They've had it!"

"I said TAKE IT BACK!" he rushed at him and knocked him out of the way, "We're not leaving them behind," Jake stood and tried to take control of the wheel, but Mickey wouldn't let him and did his best to turn it back towards the factory, "There's no way we're leaving them behind!"

He turned the wheel again, driven by his anxiety plus determination. There was no way he was leaving them there, no way, no how. They all were important to him, even the Doctor, in a way. Rose, she was the first one to befriend him, his first love. Laila, she…she was the first to comfort him, despite having no idea how he would've reacted. She didn't try and mend ties between him and Rose like he had been trying to do so desperately, no, she let him be and helped him find something else to fall back on, even if she didn't realize it.

He held on tight to the wheel as the zeppelin shook from an explosion down below. He pulled out his cell and dialed a number, shoving it to Jake, "Hold it!" he told him. Jake took it from his hand and held it up to his ear, "Rose?"

S.S

Rose pulled out her ringing phone, holding it up to her ear, "Rose?" she heard Mickey called on the other end, making her sigh in relief at the sound of his voice, "Head for the roof!"

She looked at the others, "It's Mickey," she told them, "He says 'head for the roof'."

The four of them ran up a flight of stairs, trying to avoid the explosions and flames. Back in the control room, Lumic roared with fury and pulled the tubes binding him to chair off himself, and stood up.

S.S

Rose headed up the ladder to the roof first, followed by Laila, then the Doctor and Pete. They all paused upon seeing the zeppelin, "Mickey," Rose said into her phone, "Where'd you learn to fly that thing?!"

S.S

Mickey had to smirk at the awe in her voice, "PlayStation," he simply said, "Just hold on, I'm coming to get you all."

S.S

Rose, Laila, the Doctor, and Pete bolted forwards, flinching at the random eruptions around them. The Doctor made sure to keep an eye out on Laila…and Rose…remaining close enough to pull them out of the way if need be.

S.S

Mickey worked at the wheel, trying to take it lower, but Jake stopped him, "You can't go any lower…" he told him.

"I've got to!" he argued, taking the wheel back.

"You're gonna crush them!"

Mickey paused at that and looked at him, "There's got to be something," he tried to think, "There's GOT to be…" his eyes wandered around the room, landing on a particular instrument, "Oh YES," he ran over to a lever and pulled it down, opening a hatch in the floor and letting a rope ladder down the roof.

S.S

"You've got to be kidding," the Doctor remarked, seeing the ladder drop down, "Rose, Laila, get up!"

Rose climb up first, and Laila stepped up to the ladder, only to pause for a moment. The Doctor watched her close her eyes, and take a breath, before climbing up after Rose. His gaze never left her as he too started up the ladder, Pete behind him.

S.S

Mickey pulled on another ladder, "Hold on tight, we're going up!" Jake grinned, "Welcome to Mickey's Airlines. Please enjoy your flight. Woo!" he laughed and started to spin the wheel.

S.S

The four were clinging to the rope ladder as the zeppelin rose up and away, "We did it!" Rose cried, elated, "We did it!"

Laila smiled a little in relief and closed her eyes again, gritting her teeth. She took no notice to the Doctor watching her from below, a frown making its way to his face. Was she in pain? Was it that bruise?

Suddenly the ladder jerked, knocking him from his thoughts and almost off the ladder. Rose screamed. They all glanced down to see Lumic hanging on the end of the bottom rungs, starting to climb up after them. The Doctor took out the sonic, "Pete!" the man looked up at him, "Take this!" he dropped into in his hand, "Use it! Hold the button down! Press it against the rope…just do it!"

"Jackie Tyler…" Pete trailed, "This is for her!"

He pressed down on the button and held it out against the rope ladder. Lumic drew closer and closer before the rope snapped, sending him down to the earth, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed all the way down.

Pete laughed with delight, watching as the metal man fell into the flames below, before struggling up the ladder again with the others as the zeppelin carried them away to safety.

S.S

The Doctor walked into the dark TARDIS, Laila behind him as he carried the power cell in his hand. He put it in place, and the TARDIS sprung to life. The lights all flickered on and the console began to hum again. A huge grin spread across his face and he turned to Laila, seeing a frown on hers.

"Laila," he spoke and her eyes snapped to him, "You okay? You seem…"

She shook her head, "I'm fine," she sniffed a little before smiling, "And look, you got the TARDIS back," she began to look around, trying not to look at him as he stared at her, knowing what she was doing. He reached over and pulled her to him, pulling up the sleeve to her arm to see nothing there. The bruise was gone.

"I told you I heal fast," she said, pulling her arm away, "But seriously, I'm fine…" she turned to head out the door.

"You've seemed tense since we got here…." he frowned, "Look, I'm sorry, and I can ex…"

"Let's not talk about that right now," she interrupted him, "There are…other things to take care of first," she slipped out the door, seeing Pete and Rose standing nearby.

The Doctor followed her out and looked around, "Rose?" he called, before seeing them, and running over, "I've only got five minutes of power…we've gotta go."

Rose looked at Pete, pleadingly, "The Doctor could show ya…."

"Thank you," Pete smiled at the Doctor and nodded at Laila as she was still standing by the TARDIS, "For everything."

"Dad," Rose said, staring at him intensely with tears in her eyes.

"Don't," he shook his head, "Just…just don't," he walked away, leaving the duo standing there. The Doctor scratched the back of his neck, and looked at Rose, slightly uncomfortable. They both turned seeing Jake and Mickey approach, with Mickey holding the Doctor's suit.

"Here it is!" he called, "I found it. Not a crease."

"My suit!" he grinned, taking it, "Good man! Now then, Jake…we've gotta run," he nodded at the man, "But one more thing; Mrs. Moore. Her real name is Angela Price. She's got a husband out there. And children. Find them. Tell them how she died saving the world."

"Something's been bothering me about that," Rose spoke up, "Why didn't," she nodded at Laila, "Just use one of those electro…magnetic things? Didn't she think to make more than just two?" she blinked as they all just stared at her, "What?"

"Rose," Mickey shook his head. He wasn't even there and he could tell that the incident was probably bothering the Time Lady, "It's not her fault."

"Yes, it is."

They all turned around to see Laila standing there, having walked over and heard Rose's comment, "I could have made three, and I should have, for all of you so at least you'd have one around. I thought about it…I mean, there wasn't enough time to make more, but still I could have at least tried I suppose…" she looked up at Jake, "I'm sorry, I know she was a friend. Tell Ricky when he wakes up the same, and that I hope he'll be okay."

"Laila," the Doctor began, staring at her intensely, "You…you can't blame yourself for that. You didn't know! How could you have?"

She looked up at him, "Do you feel sorry for me?" she asked, shocking him with her question.

"What?" he frowned, "No," he shook his head, "what would make you think that?"

"I mean, one day you're nice to me, then the next you're ignoring me like I have the plague or something," he winced at that, "And now you're being so nice again…." she laughed, "You're not the first person to do this, and the only reason why they were ever nice again is because they felt sorry for me," she narrowed her eyes, "I don't need your pity," the Doctor opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off, "And Mickey!" she gestured towards him as he looked at her, sadly, knowing she had been holding it all in since the start of it all, "You've been nothing but mean to him is all I can see. I've seen the glares you send in his direction, the little tiny remarks, you basically forgot him _twice_," the Doctor winced again, "You call him an idiot, have you seen him work with technology?" she smiled, "He's freaking brilliant!" she took a deep breath, "I know it seems strange that I'm defending him like this, and it's all the stranger since we just met…" her eyes became downcast, "But if you must know, I…I was once treated like the way you," she looked up at the Doctor, "And you," then at Rose, "treat him…" she sighed, "I honestly don't care that you've been ignoring me, Doctor, because quite frankly I'm used to it," his eyes widened exceptionally, "Been ignored all my life, what difference does it make if one more person does it?" she stepped up to him, "But I won't stand for someone else to go through that kind of pain…" she sniffed, "I just won't…"

She sent Mickey a meaningful glance before walking off towards the TARDIS.

Mickey shook his head, "I hope you're both happy," he said, looking at the Time Lord and Rose. The Doctor stared after Laila, his eyes still wide, before he ran off after her, leaving Jake, Rose, and Mickey standing outside, "You know what, I don't get it, Rose…" she looked at him, "She has done nothing to you that could have made you try what you did," she frowned, feigning confusion, "Oh yes, I know what you've been trying to do. You," he pointed at her, "You've been trying to get the Doctor to see a side of Laila doesn't even exist, hoping that he'd kick her out and it'd just be you two again," she averted her gaze, "You think she's pulling the Doctor towards her….but have you ever thought that maybe he is walking there on his own?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," she said.

He chuckled, "Yeah, you're right," he shrugged, "Maybe I don't. But I've noticed things he's been doing, just as you have. She doesn't have a clue about any of it. She doesn't notice when he looks at her with that soft little gaze of his," she narrowed her eyes at him, "She doesn't think anything of it when he holds her hand," she turned her head, "She oblivious to the fact that he might just be…"

"Don't…say it," she cut him off, taking a breath. She was already upset, she didn't need anything else to add on top of it. Especially not _that_.

He placed his hands in his pockets, "Well," he smiled, "We both have one thing in common, I guess, other than loving technology. We've both been through some things, and we're not about to let anyone go through that," he frowned, "I'm sorry, Rose."

She looked up at him, seeing his solemn look, "L…Look, I promise I'll do better, please…"

He smiled a little sadly, because a part of him actually doubted that.

S.S

The Doctor ran into the TARDIS, seeing Laila standing by the console, her face hidden from him, "Laila," he called and she turned away, about to walk off when he rushed up the stairs, blocking her from leaving, "Listen," he held onto her arms, gently, "I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry. But please, listen to me…"

She looked up at him, raising her eyebrow.

He swallowed, "I didn't want to ignore you like that," he explained and she narrowed her eyes, "B…But I've been alone for far too long now," she frowned at that, "Even before the war, I was alone," her eyes widened a bit, "Sure I had a family, yeah, and I loved them…but that was just it, it didn't hold any meaning to it," he shook his head, "I was happy to see that someone had survived the war, but I also realized that with that person, you, for some reason, the thought that one day I might wake up and see that this was all some dream…or that I had yet again lost another person, someone of my kind, well…it hurt," she stared at him, "Ever since we met there has been some moment where I've almost lost you. At the Torchwood manor, that wolf…it could've killed you. On the ship, you left….and I thought, if Reinette hadn't had the fireplace moved, you wouldn't be here right now….I wouldn't be standing here talking to you right now," she lowered her eyes, "When you were on the floor, unconscious…I don't know, I just froze…" she looked back up "And, though that's no excuse, I just wanted you to know that…and I'm sorry, really I am," he let go of her and backed up a little, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She didn't respond to that, instead she looked towards the door as it opened and Rose walked through, dried tears stains going down her face. He followed her gaze to see her standing there, "What happened?"

"Mickey…he's not coming with us," she simply said and looked up at Laila, "He told me…to tell you he'll…miss you," then at the Doctor, "And that if he finds a way back, just to see that you've hurt her again…he'll…strangle you."

Laila smiled a little while the Doctor just nodded.

"We can come back, can't we?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with hope.

The Doctor shook his head, "We can't," he told her, "I told you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible. We only got here by accident. We…we fell through a crack in time. I've got to close it when we leave…we can't ever return."

She nodded slowly defeated…she should've known better than to hope like that, "Well," she said, "I want to go home…to see mum."

He nodded slowly, "Alright," he turned and moved around the console, pressing various buttons, and pulling a few levers. The TARDIS shook as they headed off into the vortex.

S.S

Aw, now wasn't that just a sweet little excuse from the Doctor? I thought so, and I wrote it, ha! Just so you all know, Laila already knew that Mickey was leaving, which is why she didn't say anything.

Hm, Rose, Rose, Rose…I bet you're all wondering what's gonna happen now? Well, you might not believe it, or most of you probably will, but it's about to get a little worse now…and soon the Doctor is going to find out about what she said on the ship, but how? I can't tell you that ;) But I will say this, Laila _won't_ be the one to reveal it to him.

Things are about to be a little different now, you'll start to see the Doctor do things around our Time Lady that will develop into a bit of a…habit…later on in the 10th Doctor era. And he'll also start to realize more about his feelings towards her…it's gonna be sweet! Literally ;)

Three reviews, thank you, thank you very much…

Dream lighting: No, she'll be found out by the end of this season, but I was saying that the Doctor's reaction to that won't be as bad as his reaction to what she does in season four.

Mionerocks: Thanks!

The Inquirer: I don't know, maybe they do need to form a bond first…who knows, right? Oh, that conversation will be very entertaining in the way the Doctor reacts to it, but he won't be able to do anything right when it happens, why? Well, we'll see see soon enough. Mickey knows what it looks like, he's seen her final sketches and whatnot, so…

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: Well then, did this one make you awe as well? He's already figured it out, but there will be another change, but for the better ;) I think any relationship they have will be unfortunate for Rose. I'm counting the days till Season 2, and yes! There will be jealousy.


	16. The Idiot's Lantern: A London-y New York

A/N: I just wanted to tell you all that I was sick when I made this chapter, so if you see any mistakes please feel free to tell me.

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Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Idiots Lantern

Chapter 16: A London-y New York

* * *

Magpie, an electronics shop owner, sat inside of his shop leaning solemnly against the counter, balancing his accounts. In the background, his television was running a news channel, "Orchestrations were arranged by Sir Rodney Fenning, and Dame Eve English is a member of the Kings Lynn Players. So tune in again test week for more from the 'What's My Line' team," an announcer reported, "And that brings us to the end of programming for today. So, from all of us here at Alexandra Palace, a very good night."

Magpie sat up and sighed, "Two hundred pounds overdrawn," he tore a page from his ledger and ripped it up, "I need a miracle…" he threw the wad into a bin before leaning back on the counter, burying his head in his hands.

S.S

Rose stepped out of the TARDIS wearing two pink high heeled shoes to match her pink 50s regalia. She brushed a strand of hair from her eyes as she moved towards the street, glancing around, "I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era, you know…the white flares and the…" a seductive growl escaped her lips, "Chest hair."

The Doctor poked his head around the door. His hair was gelled back in a teddy-boy style, "You are kidding, aren't you?" he asked, "You wanna see Elvis, you go in the late 50's! The time before burgers," he pulled his head back in, "When they called him 'the Pelvis' and he still had a waist," Rose laughed at that, "What's more, you see him in style!"

The sound of an engine brought her attention to the TARDIS as the Doctor rode out on a blue 50s styled moped. She laughed again in amusement as he stopped with big sunglasses and a white helmet on his head, which turned at the sound of another engine coming from the TARDIS. Rose narrowed her eyes as he stared a bit wide eyed at Laila as she rode out on a similar moped, only it was white to match her short sleeved, red, white polka-dotted dress, with a pair of white heels. She pulled off her red helmet, looking at them, seeing the Doctor staring at her, "What?"

"N…nothing," he stuttered, shaking his head. She eyed him for a moment before shrugging, putting back on her helmet. He glanced at her again, then at Rose, pulling an Elvis, "You goin' my way, doll?"

Rose looked at him and grinned, "Is there any other way to go, daddy-o?" she moved closer to the moped, "Straight from the fridge, man!"

The Doctor laughed, "Hey! You speak the lingo!" he tossed her a pink version of his helmet and watched as she put it on.

"Yeah well…" she said, "Me. Mum, Cliff Richard movies every Bank Holiday Monday," she threw her legs over the moped, sitting behind him as he nodded.

"Ah, Cliff!" he said approvingly, "I knew your mother'd be a Cliff fan," he cranked up the engine and drove off with Laila riding along beside him.

"Where we off to?" Rose called over the engines.

"Ed Sullivan TV Studios, Elvis did 'Hound Dog' on one of the shows, there were loads of complaints," he told her, "Bit of luck, we'll just catch it."

"And that'll be TV studios in, what…" she thought about it, "New York?"

"That's the one!"

Suddenly a red London bus drove past the end of the street and he stopped the moped, Laila doing the same as they spotted a red post box and Union flag hanging from rooftop to rooftop. Laila shook her head as the Doctor looked around them, bemused. Rose laughed at his expression, "Digging that New York vibe!" she mock-complimented.

"Well…" he trailed, "this COULD still be New York, I mean this looks very New York to me…sort of…London-y New York, mind…"

"What are all the flags for?" she asked, looking around and seeing them on almost every building.

S.S

A man, Eddie, his wife, Rita, and their son, Tommy gathered around the television as the theme song to 'Muffin the Mule' played, "Smashing!" Eddie grinned, "Smashing, ennit? You'd have thought they was in the room with ya, eh? Fair do's Tommy, you had a point!" he looked at his son, "New television! There. That should cheer you up a bit, Rita. Give us a smile, then, eh?"

"I can't," Rita said quietly, a sad note in her voice, "Nothing's the same any more, not with her…"

"Stop going on about it!" he interrupted.

She looked up at him, "But her face, Eddie! What happened to her? That awful face…"

"I said stop it!" he shouted, making her and Tommy wince.

Suddenly, a series of taps emitted from the room above them, and they all looked up, slightly frightful looks on their faces, "She's awake…" Rita said before looking at Tommy, "I think she's hungry…"

S.S

Magpie threw open the doors to his van while two of his errand boys took out a television, carrying it into the buyer's house. The home owner looked on, "There you go, sir," Magpie spoke to him, "All wired up for the great occasion."

The Doctor, Laila, and Rose walked by, overhearing the conversation.

"The great occasion?" the Doctor repeated, "What d'you mean?"

"Where've you been living, out in the Colonies?" Magpie raised an eyebrow, "Coronation, of course."

"What Coronation's that, then?"

He frowned, bemusedly, "What d'you mean?" he asked, like the answer should be obvious, "THE Coronation."

The Doctor continued to stare at him, blankly, still not getting. Laila leaned her head over to whisper to him, "Queen Elizabeth's Coronation," she told him.

"Oh!" his eyes widened as it clicked, and she shook her head, "Oh, is this 1953?!"

"Last time I looked," Magpie nodded, "Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance, what we do best."

"Look at all the TV aerials…" Rose spoke up, looking up at the surrounding houses, "Looks like everyone's got one. That's weird, my nan said tellies were so rare they all had to pile into one house."

"They're supposed to be…" Laila murmured, glancing at the surroundings as well.

"Not round here, love," Magpie said, "Magpie's Marvelous Tellies, only five quid a box."

"Oh but this is a BRILLIANT year!" the Doctor cut in, all smiles, "Classic! Technicolor, Everest climbed, everything off the ration…" he put on a typical English accent, "The Nation throwing off the shadows of war and looking forwards to a happier, brighter future!"

Rose laughed and the Doctor's smile got a little wider, only to let it fall seeing that Laila wasn't laughing, nor paying attention to them. She currently had her head up facing the sky, a thoughtful frown on her face. He was about to ask about it, when a woman's shouts brought all of their attention to a nearby house.

"Someone help me, please!" a woman called, "Ted!"

The trio ran over as a man with a blanket over his head got pushed into the back of a police car by two well-dressed men.

"Leave him alone, it's my husband!" the woman yelled desperately, tears running down her cheeks.

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked and Laila frowned, staring at the van a bit distantly, her fingers twitching at her side.

"Oi, what are you doing?!"

They turned around as Tommy ran out of his house, having heard all the commotion.

"Police business," one of the suited men said to the Doctor, "Now get out of the way, sir!"

Rose turned to Tommy, "Who did they take, do you know him?" she asked.

"Must be Mr. Gallagher…" he said, not taking his eyes off the van, "It's happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters…"

"Tommy!" he, Rose, the Doctor, and Laila looked to see his father standing on the porch, looking a little more than angry, "Not one word!"

"Sorry," Tommy looked at the trio, "I'd better do as he says…"

He ran into his house and the Doctor turned on his heel, pulled on his glasses, ran over to his moped and kicked it into life, "All aboard!" he called. Laila moved to her own moped and started it up, and put on her helmet, following the Doctor after Rose hopped on the back and started down the street.

S.S

The black car hurtled around a corner, "Operation Market Stall, go, go, go!" one of the suited men ordered. The tall corrugated metal gates opened at the end of the street, allowing the car though, and closed once it was on the other side. Immediately, a wooden market barrow was wheeled in front of the gats and two men started sweeping the floor, as if they'd been there all day. The Doctor, Rose, and Laila came around the corner on the mopeds and stopped short of the market stall.

"Lost 'em!" the Doctor cried, bemused, "How'd they get away from us?"

"Surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for reckless driving," Rose remarked, "have you actually PASSED your test?!"

"Men in black?" he continued, ignoring her jibe, "Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia!"

"There's something going on here…" Laila spoke up, making him look at her, "I don't know…something doesn't feel right around here…" she frowned, going back into her thoughts. The Doctor frowned as well, though not at what she said.

He was serious when he said that he would make it up to her for the…thing he did. He agreed to call it that, the thing, because he didn't want to say the actual word.

But proving to her that he was truly sorry was turning out to be more difficult than he had original thought. After Mickey decided to stay on the parallel Earth, she spent most of her time in her room. Every time he walked by, and that was just it, he was _just_ walking by, _not_ eavesdropping, he either heard her tinkering with some new invention or complete silence. She never really came out unless it was to eat something, even then she seemed secluded from him and Rose, though his human companion didn't seem too worried about it now that he thought about it…

Actually, she said that she might be returning the favor after what he did to her. His response to that was an amused laugh, as if! If he could say anything about Laila at this point in time was that she was caring of others, and she didn't seem like the type to care for petty revenge schemes.

But if it wasn't that, then what was it? He was worried, very worried. He didn't want to give up asking her what was wrong, despite her claims that she was perfectly fine, or that she was just "busy".

After leaving the parallel Earth, he decided that they all needed to take a break, and even the TARDIS seem to agree with that given that they landed exactly where he wanted them to. The planet was Parliartari and it consisted of waterfalls, spring fields for lying down, picnic areas, waterparks, amusement rides, very relaxing spas, and so much more totally non-dangerous activities. They had headed off towards the spa first, Rose's choice. He _actually_ had to convince the Time Lady to join in on the fun, for all she seemed to want to do was sit and watch them.

Despite how wrong it seemed to him in his mind, he couldn't help but think about how lucky they were that they'd chosen the spa first…not because of how anyone in particular looked afterwards, no matter how cute…no matter how much they seemed to glow…no, because of how…how relaxing it was, yeah, that was it.

"Doctor!"

He blinked and turned his head to see Rose stared at him, an odd look in her eye, "Huh?" he said.

"I said that boy said there were monsters around…" she eyed him for a moment, "Are you okay?"

She was only asking that to make it seem like she didn't know why he suddenly had that dazed look in his eye, the same daze look he had back on that planet…Para…Parliartari, that was it, Parliartari. She decided after Mickey reprimanded her actions that he didn't know what he was talking about, and she didn't care if the Doctor was…and it was more than likely false…was falling for Laila, she wouldn't allow it, nope, not at all.

But what could she do? She was just human the woman was a Time Lady, with all this experience that she, herself, probably would never have even in a million years. The two Time Lords both lost their planet, giving them one more thing to talk about that she wouldn't understand.

Though, it did seem like the Time Lady wasn't paying her or the Doctor any mind. The Doctor seemed to think otherwise, and he _actually_ laughed when she suggested that the woman was trying to pay him back for ignoring her. Speaking of which, she noted how he decided to call those days 'the thing.' She had to resist rolling her eyes every time he said it.

She shook her head of her thoughts, "Maybe we should go and ask the neighbors," she suggested.

The Doctor grinned, "That's what I like about you," he said, "The domestic approach."

She smiled back in return, "Thanks…" then frowned, thinking about what he said, "Hold on, was that an insult…?"

Not answering her question, the Doctor started up the moped and went off down the street again, Laila right behind them.

S.S

Tommy, with a nervous approach, climbed up the stairs, pausing briefly as banging on the floor echoed down to him, before starting up again. Once he reached the top, he moved towards on particular door, a key in his hand, "Gran?" he called tentatively, "Gran, it's me. It's Tommy," there was no answer, "I'm gonna come in, Gran," again, no answer, "Stand back…just don't…I'm sorry, but I've gotta come in."

His hand reached for the doorknob…

"What d'you think you're doing?"

He jumped at the sight of his father standing there, a dark look in his eye, "We've gotta try and help her, dad!" he pleaded.

Eddie held out his hand, "Gimme that key," he demanded and his anger only deepened when Tommy just stood there, "I said give me that key, right now," Tommy slowly walked towards him and held out the key, wincing as it was snatched out his hand, "Don't think I'm finished with you."

S.S

Tommy leaned back a little as his father got right into his face, shouting out his anger, and beside him his mother watched, a solemn expression on her face, "All the warning I've given you," Eddie began, glaring at his son, "And every time, EVERY time, you disobey me!"

"We can't just lock her away," he argued.

"Excuse me, sunshine…I am talking!" he shouted, "and you can forget that college nonsense. You're going to come and work alongside me, get your hands dirty for once!"

A bang from upstairs caught all of their attention, "Oh lord!" Rita moaned, "Won't she ever stop?!"

Eddie turned to her and took her gently by the shoulders, "There there, Rita, my sweet," he assured her, "Business as usual. Now let's get these up all over the house," he gestured towards the Union Flag, "In honour of her Majesty!"

"But Eddie…" she sniffed, "What if she's dying?"

"I AM TALKING !" he shouted, silencing her, before he took a breath, "That's better. A little bit of hush."

Then the doorbell rang and he turned his head, standing up straight.

S.S

Eddie opened up the door to see the Doctor and Rose, with Laila behind them as she checked out the surroundings, "Hiiii!" they said in unison.

He eyed them suspiciously and behind him Tommy peeked around the corner, trying to see who was there, "Who are you, then?" he asked.

"Let's see then," the Doctor started, "Judging by the look of you…family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war…therefore, I represent Queen and country!" he held up the psychic paper, "Just doing a little check for Her Majesty's forthcoming subjects for the great day. Don't mind if I come in? Nah, didn't think you did, thank you!" he moved in past Eddie before he could protest, Rose and Laila following suit in the sitting room.

"Not bad," the Doctor nodded, looking around the room, "Very well kept! I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs…?" he looked at Rita.

"Connolly," she answered timidly.

"Now then Rita," Eddie cut in, "I can handle this. This gentleman's a proper representative!" The Doctor winked at Rita and Laila frowned, seeing the terrified look on the woman's face. She shot her a reassured look, despite not knowing what was wrong, and moved over to sit on the sofa near her, "Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit."

"Well," the Doctor said, a serious note in his voice and expression, "She should rattle on a bit more," Tommy and his father looked shocked at the blunt statement, "I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty," he gave the room a quick glance over, seeing the flags still waiting to be put up, "Nice flags. Why are they not flying?"

Eddie paused for a moment, "There we are Rita," he said, "I told you…get them up, Queen and country!"

Laila frowned at that before turning her head to look at the woman, seeing the fright return in her eyes, "I'm sorry…" she mumbled.

"Get it done!" he ordered, "Do it now."

"Hold on a minute…" the Doctor tried to intervene.

"Like the gentleman says…"

"Hold on a minute," he said, "You've got hands, Mr. Connolly. Two big hands! Why is that your wife's job?"

"It's housework, innit?"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at that answer, "And that's a woman's job?" he questioned.

"Course it is!" Eddie said and Laila shook her head at that.

"Mr. Connolly," he continued, despite the growing agitation with the man in front of him, "What gender is the Queen?"

"She's a female."

"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?"

A smile grew on Tommy's face as he watched the scene in front of him, even Rita seemed a little happy with her husband's humiliating moment.

"No!" Eddie shook his head, "Not at all!"

The Doctor handed him a string of flags, giving him an insistent stare, "Then get busy," he said, leaving no room for any arguments.

"Right," he nodded, taking the flags, "Yes sir," he turned and got to work putting up them up, feigning enthusiasm, "You'll be proud of us, sir! We'll have Union Jacks left, right and centre!"

Rose stood up, with her hands on her hips as the Doctor made his way back across the room, plopping down on the sofa next to Laila, smiling as she smiled at him, "'Scuse me, Mr. Connolly," Rose called, "Hang on a minute! Union Jacks?"

"Yes, that's right, isn't it?" he asked, looking at her.

She shook her head, "That's the Union Flag," she corrected, "It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea."

Laila glanced at Tommy to see a full grin on his face, and she couldn't help but smile herself.

"Oh…" Eddie nodded, trying to humble himself, "Oh, I'm sorry, I do apologize."

Rose nodded, smiling widely, "Well, don't get it wrong again, there's a good man," she gestured for him to carry on, "Now get to it!"

He hastily got back to work and Rose sat down on the other side of the Doctor, a slightly smug look on her face. She bet the Time Lady didn't know that, now did she?

"Right then!" the Doctor went on, "Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure!" he leaned towards Rose, whispering, "Union Flag?"

"Mum went out with a sailor."

"Ooohohoohoo!" he laughed, "I bet she did!" then turned towards the others, "Anyways, I'm the Doctor, this" he gestured towards Laila, who waved, "Is Laila, and this," he motioned towards Rose, "Is Rose."

Laila looked at Tommy and Rita, "Might I ask who you are?" she asked, "The both of you," she looked at Tommy on that, who seemed surprised by that. She could see in it his expression, a look she knew all too well, that he wasn't one who got much attention, or was really included in anything…

"Tommy," Tommy greeted and she moved to sit on the arm of the sofa, gesturing for him to sit. He shook his head.

"Go on, I don't mind," she smiled and he smiled back before sitting down between her and the Doctor, who was watching with a slightly soft look in his eye, before he noticed what he was doing and shook himself out of it, looking at Rita and offering her the other chair.

"Have a look at this," he said, "I love telly, don't you?" he looked at Tommy.

"Yeah, I think it's brilliant!" Tommy grinned happily.

They all watched the program silently for a few moments before the Doctor turned around to check on Eddie, who was still hanging up the flags, "Keep working Mr. C!" he called before turning to Rita, dropping his voice to a whisper, "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Rita quickly glanced at her husband before looking back at him, "Did you say you were a doctor?"

He nodded, "Yes I am."

"Can you help her?" she asked pleadingly, "Oh please, can you help her, Doctor?"

"Now then Rita," Eddie interrupted, "I don't think the gentlemen needs to know…"

Suddenly Rita burst into tears, and Laila, being the closest one to her, wrapped an arm around her comfortingly, "It'll be alright," she reassured her. Rita just shook her head, helplessly, "Whatever you need, just tell us, and we'll try our best to help you…but first," Rita looked up at her, "You've gotta tell us what is wrong."

"Hold on a minute!" Eddie shouted, "Queen and Country's one thing, but this is my house!" he looked down at the flags in his hand, chucking them down. The Doctor gritted his teeth and balled up his fist, trying to restrain himself, he just needed one more push, "What the…what the hell am I doing? Now you listen here, Doctor! You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!"

"Mr. Connelly," Laila tried to speak, "We just want to…"

He just turned to face her, glaring, "I AM TALKING!" he shouted.

Her eyes widened, and she seemed to freeze in her spot.

What happened next surprised them all…

S.S

Ooooh! I wonder what's going to happen, I love moments like these!

Hm, I'm sure it doesn't take a genius to figure out who exactly the Doctor was talking about when his mind went back to their trip on Parliartari, which by the way is a made up name, for those of you who weren't sure ;)

Five more reviews!

Lazy Guest: Awesome username! Yeah, I was having trouble updating, but my grandfather is supposed to be getting back the internet, so…yeah. Interesting question, but it cannot be answered at this moment, but we'll see when we get to Martha.

Mionerocks: Yep, she's going to be a jealous monster, and that will be her downfall in Season 4. Hehe…trust me, he'll have something to say about Rose in Season 4, because of something that she does that she is supposed to know not to do….

Dream Lighting: Yes, Rose will get worse. Jack might be like a brother to Laila, or something else. She won't have a lot of family members, who aren't biologically related to her, for one reason or another.

The Inquirer: Actually, we'll be finding out what she was working on after the big reveal about her at the end of 'The Satan Pit'. There might be some drama, but it's a so-so kind of thing. Yeah…that scenario is kind of out of there.

TheGirlWhoWaited: The Doctor will improve but Rose will only get worse….


	17. The Idiot's Lantern: Missing Face

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Idiot's Lantern

Chapter 17: Missing Face

* * *

The room went silent and Laila continued to stare at Eddie, who was still glaring at her, before she lowered her eyes, closed them, and then turned her head.

"And we're not listening!" the Doctor twisted the man to look at him, "Now you, Mr. Connolly, are staring into a deep, dark PIT of trouble of you don't let me help," his eyes narrowed to a dangerous slit, a dark note in his voice, "And if you ever, EVER, yell at her again I promise you won't like what I do next," Eddie, Tommy, and Rita gaped at the threat, unsure of how to react to that, "and I promise we will walk out that door and leave you with whatever MESS you've gotten yourself into," his grip seemed to tighten, "Do I make myself clear?"

Eddie nodded slowly and the Doctor released him before moving to kneel near Laila, who had witnessed the moment and was staring at him with wide, shocked, eyes. He frowned, seeing traces of tears nears the bottom of her eyes. He closed his eyes, as if trying to block something out, before looking back at Mr. Connolly, "Tell us what's going on…" he asked, his voice void of any emotion.

Rose glanced between him and Laila, her mouth thin as Eddie tried to come up something to say when suddenly a banging sound echoed down from upstairs. He, the Doctor, and Laila glanced up as Tommy looked around with a nervous expression. Rita sighed and shook her head wearily.

"She won't stop," Eddie said with a hint of fear as the banging continued, "She never stops."

"We started hearing stories," Tommy spoke up hesitantly, gaining their attention, "All around the place. People who've…changed. Families keeping it secret 'cause they were scared. The police started finding out. We don't know how, no one does. They just…turn up, come to the door and take 'em. Anything of the day or night."

The Doctor nodded, "Show me."

S.S

The group walked quietly up the staircase, the only sound being the creak of the wood beneath their feet and the door as they opened it up. Tommy peered around it cautiously, "Gran?" he called, "It's Tommy," he opened the door wider, allowing the Doctor and the others inside the room, "It's all right Gran, I've brought help."

They glanced at the shadowy figure standing by the window, moving slowly towards them. Tommy moved further into the room and switched on the light, revealing his faceless Grandmother. All of her features were wiped, leaving nothing but smooth skin in their place. Rose gulped while the Doctor and Laila stared, thoughtful looks on their faces.

Laila walked up to her, the Doctor followed her as they examined the woman, "I…I've read about this before," she whispered to the Doctor, so the others wouldn't hear. That kind of information wasn't something that some people would take in so easily.

"What is it?" he asked, looking at her.

She bit her lip, "There are few species who can attempt this…none of which can form an actual body," she explained, "Whatever did this to her is very powerful," she gently reached up to touch her face and gasped….

S.S

_Laila stared at the man sitting across from her, both of their expression neutral, "Now, we both know why you are here," he began._

"_Yes, we do," she simply said, "The question is, why is that I was sent here for that reason?"_

"_You know why," he countered, "We've told you before, Miss. You cannot go around like all the rest of us, in your situation things must be determined with a delicate hand," she resisted the urge to wince at that reminder. The man smiled a little, the same smile that haunted her dreams as of late, "Let's talk about this…ability…of yours, shall we?"_

_She just stared at him, her eyes unwavering, "I never asked for this…." she murmured, "I never wanted this," she motioned towards herself, "Maybe it would be fine if I wasn't considered a…a freak...or perhaps if I could go around and not have to worry about you people showing up at my doorsteps every time I decide to take a closer look into myself!"_

_The man continued to smile, "We know how you feel," he said, "But please, please, do remember that this is for the good of our entire species. We all know the reason why the rest of the ones like you died out…don't we?"_

_She lowered her eyes and swallowed, "Yes…."_

"_Good, now let's begin…"_

S.S

"Laila!"

She blinked rapidly, looking around her to see everyone staring at her. She turned to the Doctor to see a worried look on his face, "What?" she asked, not noticing the shakiness in her voice.

"You…spaced out," he frowned, furrowing his brow, "And you're crying…" he reached out and took her hand, raising it to gently brush across her face, letting her feel the wetness there, "S…See?"

She looked at him as he removed his hand from hers, his own eyes sort of wavering, and she almost found herself wishing that he hadn't, and then she frowned at that thought. They seemed to be coming at her more lately than when they had first met. She always felt affected by the things people did to her earlier in time, and like she told the Doctor, she had been ignored before….but it, for some reason, didn't hurt as much as it did when he did it.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Eddie standing there, awkwardly, and Tommy and Rita with small, almost knowing, smiles on their faces. What was to be known, though? She quickly looked at Rose to see the girl glaring daggers at her, more so than usual.

Well, jealousy was always added more fuel to the fire than anything else…though she still didn't understand what there was to be so envious of. She wasn't anything special, she wasn't a super model, she never really got into their adventures like the Doctor and Rose did, she didn't really do much…..she was just a girl who loved her technology, nothing more, nothing less, nothing that she didn't want to get rid of.

"Um," the Doctor cleared his throat, trying not to think about what just happened, what had nearly happened, OR better yet what he _wanted_ to do at that moment, "Her face is completely gone," he turned to face the woman, getting back to the problem at hands. He took out the sonic and scanned over her, "Scarcely an electrical impulse left," he frowned, "Almost complete neural shutdown, she's ticking over, like her brain has been…wiped clean."

"What're we gonna do, Doctor?" Tommy asked worriedly, "We can't even feed her!"

A crash from downstairs made them turn around, "We've got company…" Rose said.

"It's them," Rita breath, scared, "They've come for her!"

The Doctor whipped around to her, "What was she doing before this happened?" he asked, "Where was she?" Rita hesitated for a moment, "Tell me, quickly, think!"

"I can't think!" Tommy shouted, "She doesn't leave the house! She was just…"

Suddenly the door was thrown open and a big, burly man barged in with a couple of other men behind him, "Hold on a minute!" the Doctor held up his hands, "There are three important, brilliant, and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One,…"

The burly man just punched him across the face, sending him slumping down to the ground, unconscious. Laila and Rose stared on in horror, "Doctor!" Rose cried, rushing to kneel by him.

The men took the opportunity to throw a blanket over Tommy's Gran, throwing her over their shoulders before rushing off down the stairs.

"Leave her alone!" Rita cried, tears running down her face. Everything was just going to shambles…

They just pushed past her, nearly knocking her over, if it wasn't for Tommy catching her at the last moment. Laila stared at the men, then down at the Doctor, who was still unconscious, and she frowned before running off out the door, Tommy, Rita, and Eddie after her.

"Mum!" Rita shouted, "Don't hurt her!"

They made it down the stairs just as the men reached their car. Laila quickly glanced at them before running towards her moped, hopping on. Tommy and Rita tried to get through the door as well, but Eddie ran in front, blocking them from leaving, "Back inside, Rita!" he demanded.

"She's my mother!" she argued.

"Back inside now, I said!"

S.S

Rose slapped the Doctor's cheeks one more time, and suddenly he shot up as if he hadn't just been unconscious, "Ah, hell of a right hook!" he shook his head, "Have to watch out for that!" he looked around, "Where's Laila?"

Rose glanced around as well, not seeing the Time Lady, "I…don't know," she shrugged.

"She must've gone after them!" he quickly stood up and bolted down the stairs, "Come on!"

She stood and rolled her eyes, mumbling something under her breath before following him.

S.S

The Doctor ran down the stairs, seeing Eddie blocking the door, "Don't fight it," Eddie told his family, "Back inside!"

He pushed past the man and ran over to his moped, seeing Laila's red one missing, and hopped on just as Rose came bounding down the stairs as fast as she could, which wasn't all that fast really, "Rose, come on!" he shouted, glancing down the road, seeing neither sign nor hair of the red moped nor the Time Lady riding it.

He wanted to kick himself. He was really bad at keeping her safe, wasn't he? He…just didn't want to see her hurt, what was wrong with that? Nothing, nothing at all. So why was the universe so keen on keeping him from completing that promise?

"Get back inside!" Eddie shouted.

The Doctor looked at Rose again, seeing her just standing in the sitting room. What was she doing?!

S.S

Rose halted in her steps and stared at the television set, seeing angry, buzzing tendrils of electricity emitting from it.

"But Dad," Tommy argued, trying to get past his father, "They took her!"

"Go back inside," Eddie told him, "Don't fight it…"

S.S

"Rose!" the Doctor called again, putting on his helmet, glancing back down the road. Perhaps he hoped to see a red moped coming back down their way, "We're gonna lost them again!"

S.S

Rose glanced between the Doctor and the sparking red television. The tendril went back into the set, prompting her to move forwards for a closer look. The Doctor could go play and be the Time Lady's hero, but she was going to get some _real_ work done.

"Dad, they took her!" Tommy struggled against his father's grip, "That was Gran and they took her!"

"Come on," Eddie ushered him, "Back inside now."

Rose glanced out the door to see the Doctor gone already and she frowned before turning around and fumbling with the television set. She turned it around to see the red electricity buzzing along the aerial, a large label 'Magpie Electricals' posted nearby.

"How did they find her?" she looked up to see Tommy, Rita, and Eddie walking back into the room, "Who told 'em?"

Eddie bluntly ignored his question, looking over to see Rose sitting by their TV, "You!" he pointed at her, "Get the hell out of my house!"

Rose stood to her feet, "I'm going, I'm done!" she raised her hands in defense, "Nice you meet you Tommy, Mrs. Connolly," she nodded at them, "And as for you, Mr. Connolly," she looked at him, "Only an idiot hangs the Union Flag upside-down. Shame on you!" he looked offended by that and she just grinned cheerfully before running out of the house.

S.S

The Doctor sped down the street, seeing the black police car far ahead of him, and he frowned at not seeing Laila anywhere, or any sign of a red moped. Where was she? This was all that was on his mind as he arrived at the same wooden doors they saw earlier. He observed the scene before him, seeing the same two workmen, sweeping and clearing away rubbish just like earlier.

"Oh," his eyes widened, "Very good!" he nodded, appreciatively to the ploy, "Very good!"

The sound of an engine brought his attention to the bright headlights coming from behind him. He stared as Laila, on her red moped, stopped next to him and took off her helmet and looked at him, "Look," she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a remote-shaped device, "It detects electrical pulses, which will make it easy to find whoever, or whatever, is doing this to these people," she smiled a little at the contraption before looking up, seeing him still staring at her, "What?"

"You went to the TARDIS?" he asked and she nodded, "How did you get in? I haven't given you a key…"

She shrugged, "The doors just opened when I needed to get in," she said. What was the big deal?

He blinked and thought about that for a moment. She was just _let_ into the TARDIS? _His_ TARDIS? _Without_ a key? He frowned. There was something about that, that seemed very familiar…but what was it?

On Gallifrey, every TARDIS grown had its chosen keeper well…chosen…even before they began to sprout, and he was this TARDIS's keeper….even if he did only 'borrow' it. Basically, only _he_ was supposed to able to enter it without a key, and even that was a rare occurrence. Now all of sudden Laila shows up and she can do it without even thinking about….

Seriously, there was something strangely familiar about that…perhaps he read about it in a book…or maybe someone told him about it…

It was staring him right in the face, he could feel it, but he couldn't put his finger on it and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

He shook his head of the thought, giving himself a reminder to think more about it later, "Oh!" he looked towards the stall market and then at Laila, "We need to find a way in there."

She nodded, and then furrowed her brow, "Where's Rose?" she asked.

He opened his mouth to answer that, and then closed it, realizing he couldn't tell her exactly why he left Rose, his companion, back at the Connolly's without any protection…it would lead to some questions that he, himself, wasn't sure of yet.

"She was busy," he lied, and suddenly he felt the urge to take it back, "Was checking out the the neighborhood more."

Laila stared at him, a blank look on her face. She knew he was lying, and it kind of hurt, which was a major understatement, that he did it…but it also made her wonder what he was hiding. She knew for a fact that Rose wouldn't have just let him come all the way out here by himself, especially knowing she was probably to return and it would just be herself and him there without her.

The only other logical explanation is that he left her behind, more than likely not too willingly, but still…why would he do that? For curiosities sake?

She thought about that for a moment longer….yeah that made sense.

S.S

Laila and the Doctor walked around the building, looking for a way in. They eventually found a small gate on the side, and the Doctor used the sonic to get in.

S.S

They walked down a dark corridor and into a larger room, observing two policemen locking up some cage-like gates. They walked over quietly when they left, and saw that they contained several dozen people. The Doctor opened the door with the sonic, revealing the people to be just like Tommy's Gran, faceless. They clenched and unclenched their fists in an almost creepy manner, shuffling towards the Doctor and Laila. Suddenly, a bright light flared on behind them, and they turned around seeing the two policemen from earlier standing in front of them.

"Stay where you are!" one of them shouted.

S.S

Rose walked into Magpie's shop, where the shop owner was adjusting a TV set on the counter. He looked up nervously as she came in, "Oh, I, I'm sorry miss," he spoke, "I'm afraid you're too late. I was just about to lock the door."

She just shut the door, "Yeah?" she said, "Well, I wanna buy a telly."

"Come back tomorrow," he told her, a pleading note in his voice, "Please."

"You'll be closed," she frowned, "Won't ya?"

He blinked, "What?"

"For the big day?" she raised an eyebrow, wondering what was wrong with him, "

The coronation…"

"Yes, yes, of course," he nodded at the reminder, "The big day," he tried to get her to leave as she walked over to him, "I'm sure you'll find somewhere to watch it. Please go."

"Seems to me half of London's got a television," she remarked, "Since you're practically giving them away."

He averted his gaze, "I have my reasons."

"And what are they?"

Before he could answer, one of the televisions on display tuned itself, and the Wire appeared on the screen, "Hungry!" it cried, "Hungry!"

She furrowed her brow, "What's that?"

"It's just a television," he waved her question off, "One of these modern programs. Now, I really do think you should leave!" he shot her a desperate look, "Right now!"

"Not until you've answered my questions," she countered, "How come your televisions are so cheap?"

"It's my patriotic duty," he explained, trying to remain inconspicuous, "Seems only right that many folk as possible get to watch the coronation. We may be losing the Empire but we can still be proud! Twenty million people they reckon'll be watching! Imagine that!" Rose smiled at that, obviously not believing him, "And twenty million people can't be wrong, eh? So why don't you get yourself back home and get up, bright and early, for the big day?"

"Nah," she shook her head, "I'm not leaving 'til I've seen everything."

"I need to close."

"Mr. Magpie," she sighed, "Something's happening out there. Ordinary people are being struck down and changed, and the only new thing in the house is a television. Your television. What's going on?"

Magpie stared at her for a moment before giving in, "I knew this would happen," he muttered, "I knew I'd be found out," he walked around her and proceeded to lock the door. Rose watched him warily.

"All right, then, it's just you and me…" she said, trying not to appear nervous, "You gonna come clean, then? What's really in it for you?"

"For me?" he asked, "Perhaps some peace."

"From what?" she frowned again, a curious look crossing her features.

"From HER," he glanced over at the woman's face on the television screen and she followed his gaze to see the same.

"That's just a woman on the telly," she said, "That's just a program."

"What a pretty little girl," the woman spoke, shocking her.

"Oh, my god…" she gaped, "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes…I'm talking to you, little one. Unseasonable chilly for the time of the year, don't you think?"

Rose swallowed, "What are you?" she asked, breathless.

"I'm the Wire," the woman introduced, "And I'm hungrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyy...!"

She bared her teeth and pinkish bolts of electricity shot out of the screen and encompassed Rose's face.

"Magpie, help me!" Rose cried, gritting her teeth from the pain.

Magpie just watched, sadly, "Just think of that audience tomorrow, my dear…"

She moaned, spots beginning to dot her vision.

"All sitting down to watch the coronation. Twenty million people. Things will never be the same again," his voice cracked, "I'm sorry. So sorry."

"Help me," she tried again and he averted his eyes as her face was sucked into the screen.

"Goodnight, children," the Wire said serenely, "Everywhere."

S.S

Poor Rose….I thought about having both her and Laila taken at the same time, or just Laila, but I decided not to include our Time Lady in this, at least not this particular one…who's to say what'll happen with the next one? I decided not to do it because she's going to go through something in the next two episodes that she'll need her full strength for, and given _what_ she is, she doesn't need any of it taken.

Didn't I tell you all that the Doctor would be sweet to Laila after 'the thing'? In the next chapter they both will find out what happened to Rose and go off trying to see what caused it, and something…something…will heighten.

Seven reviews and that makes fifty in total at this point, thanks guys!

Guest: Thank you, I hope you liked this little cliff-hanger filler right here.

Dream lightning: Well, she didn't do anything as we see here, the Doctor did as we can see it was just Rose, just like in the show. We won't see an oncoming storm against Rose in this season; however, we might see it in Season 4, because like I said, what she does there is going to be worse than what she's doing now, and what she said on the ship. She won't get hit, but that doesn't mean no one will try ;)

Mionerocks: Thank you!

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: Well, I hope you feel better by now, because I do and I'm happy about it…though I did get to miss school on Monday (I was sick the entire weekend). Yeah, I think we can all agree the the Doctor _is_ falling for our Time Lady, but we haven't exactly heard what her thought are on that, at least not a lot of them, but we'll be getting there in an original chapter I'm going to make after The Satan Pit. Will she let him in…well, this does have romance in it, so it might happen in this season, I can't reveal too much at this point. BUT! It will happen definitely happen at some point, so don't worry about that. We won't be seeing too much of that kind of Laila, at least not with the 10th Doctor, I do have a special twist planned for the 11th Doctor in The Rebel Flesh. Let's just say that Laila's ganger (hint-hint) won't portray her actual qualities…hehe…it's gonna be fun seeing the Doctor's reaction to that! Well, like the Doctor says, Jack flirts with anything that walks, so of course he'll flirt with her! The question is how the Doctor will react, we can all probably assume that he'll be jealous. Do you mean an Oncoming Storm moment against Jack? No, I can tell you we won't have that, but there will be an almost Oncoming Storm moment against The Master, because of something…something that he does dealing with Laila. I can't tell you what though. Thank you, I originally wanted to start with the 9th Doctor, because I felt sorry for him, but his episodes weren't exactly that interesting, so I lost interest….

TheGirlWhoWaited: Laila? Yell back at someone? I can hear the Doctor laughing at that idea…

The Inquirer: Cliff hanger! Hanging from a clifffff! And that's why we call him cliff hanger….okay, now onto more serious business, lol. Yes, Laila is her chosen name, it means "Night beauty" and we'll be finding out what her grandparents actually decided to call her (Like in LizzeXX's stories, her character Angel chose that name, but her real name is Nella), and why it was her grandparents who chose the name in the first place instead of her parents…it's actually a sad story.

Veyrona: Well, he'll be finding out soon what she said, it's going to be an interesting conversation followed by some confusion and that's where the whole things will get worse comes into place…


	18. The Idiot's Lantern: The Wire

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Idiot's Lantern

Chapter 18: The Wire

* * *

The Doctor and Laila sat on the other side of a desk, staring at the man across it, "Start from the beginning," he said, "Tell me everything you know."

"Well…for starters…I know you can't wrap your hand around your elbow and make your fingers meet," the Doctor remarked, seriously. Laila shot him an amused smile, and he returned it with a grin.

"Don't get clever with me," the man pointed at him, "You both were there today at Florizel Street, and now breaking into this establishment. Now, you're connected with this. Make no mistake."

"Well, the thing IS, Detective Inspector Bishop…"

The man frowned at that, "How do you know my name?" he asked.

"It's…written on the inside of your collar," the Doctor told him, sounding apologetic. The Bishop looked a bit embarrassed as he adjusted his collar, "Bless your mum. But, I can't help thinking, Detective Inspector, you're not exactly doing much detective inspecting. Are you?"

"I'm doing everything in my power."

"But…" Laila spoke, and the men looked at her, "All you're doing is grabbing the faceless and hiding them before the Coronation Day," she stared at the Bishop, "You don't want the world to see what is happening here, but perhaps, if you did try and find a solution, everything would be fine before that day…but you're doing nothing at all," she smiled sadly, "Because you don't know what to do…" she put on a thoughtful expression, "That's understandable."

The Doctor, who was spinning from side to side in his chair, grinned at her, and smirked at the Bishop as he looked slightly irritated at how she managed to figure that out, "The nation has an image to maintain," he simply said.

"Doesn't it drive you mad?" the Doctor asked, incredulous, "Doing nothing? Don't you wanna get out and there and investigate?"

"Course I do," he nodded, "But…" he sighed and sat down, "With all the crowds expected, we haven't got the man-power. Even if we did…this is…beyond anything we've ever seen," he clearly was helpless, "I just don't know anymore. Twenty years on the force…" the Doctor leaned forwards, listening intently, "…I don't even know where to start. We haven't the faintest clue what's going on."

"Well…" he looked at Laila, and she nodded, "…that could change."

"How?" the Bishop asked, confused.

The Doctor stood to his feet and looked down at him, "Start from the beginning," he told him, "Tell me everything you know."

S.S

A black car pulled up to the warehouse. Two men stepped out, carrying someone covered in a blanket out of the back seat, leading the figure into the building.

S.S

The Doctor and Bishop were standing over a large map on a stand, "We started finding them about a month ago," Bishop told him, "Persons left sans visage. Heads just…blank."

"Is there any sort of pattern?" the Doctor asked as he examined a file on the desk.

"Yes, spreading out from North London. All over the City. Men, women, kids…grannies…the only REAL lead is there's been quite a large number in…"

"Florizel Street," the Doctor and Laila said in unison, both coming up with the same conclusion. Bishop looked between them, seeing the disappointed look on Laila's face, and the slightly frustrated one of the Doctor's.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and the all looked up as two policemen walked in, "Found another one, sir," one of the said and the other came in carrying a blanket-covered figure, a familiar pink voluminous skirt with matching pink shoes poking out underneath.

"Oh, er…good man, Crabtree" Bishop nodded, "Here we are, Doctor, Laila…"

The Doctor dropped the files on the table and walked slowly towards the figure, Rose, disbelief crossing his features. Laila watched him with a solemn expression before she too headed towards her.

"Tale a good look," he continued, "See what you can deduce."

One of the policemen took the blanket off Rose's head. The Doctor's eyes widened in horror as he stared down at her featureless face, "Rose," he breathed. Laila could clearly see and hear the guilt on his face and in his voice.

"Do you know her?" Bishop asked, frowning.

"Know her?" he blinked, "She…" he kneeled down next to her and everything else seemed to fade behind him. He clenched his eyes close, only to open them again when he felt a warm hand on his. He looked over to see Laila stared at him, concern for him in her eyes, or at least where her eyes should've been…

He gasped, backing up a bit.

"Doctor?" Laila frowned, seeing his stunned, nonetheless horrified expression change into something like devastation, "Are you okay?" she reached out for him and he took her wrist, stopping her. She blinked, a bit shocked at the action.

The Doctor scanned her face, realizing what he saw was an illusion, a frightening one at that. He sighed in relief, knowing that the Time Lady hadn't been harmed, that he hadn't failed…again…to keep her out of harm's way, "Go…"

"No," his eyes snapped to her, seeing that she was serious, "I'm not going back to the TARDIS," her expression softened, "How can I sit in there when I know that you're out here hurting? We'll find out what caused this, Doctor…together."

He swallowed and nodded slowly, but kept a tight grip on her hand as they faced Rose again. The fact that she knew what he was going to say before he even said it didn't cross his mind at all.

"They found her in the street…apparently…over at Master Square, abandoned," one of the Policemen told Bishop.

"That's unusual," Bishop muttered, "That's the first one out in the open. Heaven help us if something happens in public tomorrow for the big day, we'll have Torchwood on our back, make no mistake."

"They did what?" the Doctor whispered.

"I'm sorry?" he looked at that man.

"They left her where?" he repeated, force calmly.

"Just…in the street."

"In the street," he said, "They left her in the street. They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street. And as a result, that makes things…simple. Very, very, simple. Do you know why?" he tore his gaze from Rose's face, standing to face the men.

"No…" Bishop shook his head slowly.

"Because now," Laila smiled, "There's nothing that can stop us," she looked up at the Doctor, "Come on," she pulled him out of the door.

S.S

The Connolly house was filled with people and chatter as they all prepared to watch the big event of the day on the television. Eddie walked through the front door, closing it behind him as Rita approached him. He stared down at her menacingly, "You've had your fun with your little Doctor…but now you're left with me," he told her, his voice low and threatening, "So you'll behave yourself. And smile," frightened, Rita just fixed a smile on her face, turning to follow him into the sitting room, "Here we go, everyone! Here we go!" he grinned, as if nothing had occurred, "Grub's up, grub's up…tuck in, take a sandwich," he squeezed into the room as the first footage of the coronation rolled on the telly, "Oh, here we go, here we go, it's started! Take your places, sit down, sit down."

Everyone settled themselves down in the chairs or on the floor, their eyes fixated on the screen, "Rita, love!" a woman, Betty, called, "Just LOOK at the tellybox then, eh? Innit MARVELLOUS? The picture's so clear!"

"Here, Beth," Eddie leaned forward to talk to her, "I says to Rita, I says "You didn't need to get your hair done special, love! The Queen won't be able to see you!"

The duo shared a laugh and Rita, obviously not amused, smiled politely at the joke anyhow. Tommy just glanced between the adults, an affronted look on his face at the jibe at his mother's expense.

"Where's your old mum, then?" Betty asked Rita, "She can't go missing it!"

"Sorry, um…" Rita mumbled up an excuse, "Mum can't make it down."

"Ahh," she nodded, understanding, "Bless her. Maybe we could pop up and see her later."

"Maybe you could," Tommy spoke up, "It's a good idea," he looked at his father, "What do you think, dad? Maybe Aunty Betty could go and see gran later?"

Eddie stared at him, fuming silently, before laughing it off, "Oh, he loves his gran, this one," he said, "Proper little mummy's boy all round!"

"Oh," Betty shot him a look, "You what they say about THEM. Eddie, you want to beat that out of him."

He laughed again, "That's exactly what I'm gonna do," he threw Tommy a threatening look.

The doorbell rang, giving Tommy a chance to move away from the man, "I'll get it," he said, leaving to go answer the door.

Once he got there, he opened it and saw the Doctor, Laila, and the Bishop standing there, "Tommy," the Doctor said, "Talk to me," he stepped out, closing the door behind him, "I need to know what exactly happened inside your house."

The door was thrown open and Eddie stood there, his face nearly red with anger, "What the blazes do you think you're doing?" he looked at his son.

"I wanna help, dad," Tommy said and Laila smiled at that.

"Mr. Connolly…" she began softly. There was no harm in trying again, that's what her grandma used to tell her.

"Shut your face, you," Eddie rounded on her and the Doctor narrowed his eyes, clenching his fist at his side, "Whoever you are. We can handle this ourselves," he turned to his son, "Listen you, little twerp. You're hardly out of the bloomin' cradle, so I don't expect you to understand. But I've got a position to maintain. People 'round here respect me. It MATTERS what people THINK."

Suddenly he found himself nearly handing in the air, the Doctor's fist clenching up his shirt as the man himself glowered down at him, "I believe we had an agreement…" he said, "I told you not to…" he felt a hand on his arm and he turned to see Laila shaking her head at him.

"Don't…" she said, "… at least, not for me," she lowered her eyes, "We have to find out what happened to Rose, remember?"

He frowned and furrowed his brow before turning back to Eddie, staring into the man's frightened face, and then pushed him back a little. Tommy and Bishop watched the scene with wide-eyes before Tommy looked at his father, "Is…" he blinked, "Is that why you did it, dad?"

Eddie looked taken aback, "What d'you mean? Did what?"

"You ratted on gran," he said, realization dawning upon him, "How else would the police know where to look? Unless some coward told them…"

"How DARE you?!" he shouted, "You think I fought a war just so a mouthy little scum like you could call me a coward?"

"You don't get it, do you?" he shook his head, "You found AGAINST fascism, remember? People telling you how to live…who you could be friends with…who you could fall in love with…who could live and who had to die. Don't you get it? You were fighting so that little twerps like me could DO what we want. SAY what we want. Now you've become just like them," Eddie gaped at him, "You've been informing everyone, haven't you? Even gran. All to protect your precious reputation."

"Eddie…" they all looked to see Rita approach them, "…is that true?"

"I did it for US, Rita!" Eddie tried to explain, "She was FILTHY. A filthy, disgusting THING."

Laila's head snapped up at that. The Doctor glanced at her to see a distant look in her eyes and he frowned, concern etching across his face.

S.S

"_Filthy thing…" he shook his head, not able to look at her, "you disgust me…"_

_She gaped at him, feeling the tears well up in her eyes…_

S.S

Laila sighed, opening her eyes, realizing she had closed them. She felt another squeeze on her hand and she smiled a little at the Doctor, letting him know she was alright.

"She's my mother," Rita stated quietly, shocked at his words, "All the others…you informed on all the people in our street…our friends."

"I had to," Eddie flailed slightly, "I did the right thing….!"

"The right thing for us…or for you, Eddie," she asked, seriousness written all over her face. He stared at her while she turned to face Tommy, "You go, Tommy. You go with the Doctor, and Laila, do some good. Get away from this house. It's poison. We had a ruddy monster under this roof, all right, but it weren't my mother!" she slammed the door close, leaving Eddie outside with the others.

"Tommy?"

Tommy looked to see Laila holding out her hand to him and he took it, letting her lead him down the street, the Doctor and Bishop following after them. They noted how busy the streets were as people prepared for a party.

"Tommy," the Doctor began, "Tell me about that night. The night she changed."

"She was just watching the telly," he told him, confused.

"Rose said it," he nodded, realizing as he looked up at the TV aerials, "You did too," he glanced at Laila, "Right away, you two guessed it. All these aerials in one little street…how come?"

"Magpie…" Laila murmured and they all looked at her.

"What?"

"Magpie," she looked at him, "I was messing with my device and there was strong signal coming from the place," she furrowed her brow, "I tried to check it out, but they were locked…" she looked up at him, "It may be the base of this whole operation….what?"

He was staring at her, a truly sorrowful look crossing his features, "That's probably what happened to Rose," he said, "She went and…." he bit his lip, now seeing how close he came to the same thing happening to Laila, "They must've been open when she did…"

He almost failed, no he did fail to protect her, AGAIN. What was wrong with him? Why did it seem like the universe wanted to keep them apart?

"Well," Laila spoke up, knocking him from his thoughts, "Let's go."

She walked off down the road and he ran after her. He was going to make sure she wasn't out of his sight for a minute.

S.S

Once they got to the shop, the Doctor immediately smashed the glass in Magpie's door in order to gain entry.

"Here, you can't do that…" Bishop started, but he was ignored. They walked into the building to see no one around.

"Shop?" the Doctor yelled, repeatedly pressing the bell on the counter, "If you're here, come out and talk to me! MAGPIE?"

"Maybe he's out," Tommy suggested.

"Looks like it…" he nodded before moving to rifle through the drawers behind the counter. He found a device that looked like a cross between a portable radio and TV. Laila frowned and walked up next to him, examining it, "Oh, hello…this isn't right. This is very much not right," he licked it, much to the others surprise, "Tastes like iron. Bakelite," he placed it down on the counter, "Put together with humans hands, yes but the design itself…" he took out the sonic, scanning over it, "Oh, beautiful work. That is so simple."

"That's incredible," Bishop gaped, "It's like a television, but portable. A portable television!"

He raised the sonic again, pointing it across the room, the television turning on to static, "It's not the only power source in this room…" the sonic whirred and the static gradually faded down, a screen showing different faces replacing it…the faces of the people who were taken. They all looked terrified, mouthing pleas for help. The Doctor looked around them, brow furrowed as he searched for Rose.

"Gran?" Tommy called, seeing hers among the rest, a horrified feeling taking over him.

The Doctor continued to scan the screen, till his eyes landed on Rose's face on the bottom of the monitor mouthing 'Doctor, Doctor' on repeat. He kneeled in front of the screen, looking rather sad, "I'm on my way," he promised.

"What do you think you're doing?" Magpie questioned, entering from the back room.

The Doctor rounded on him, "I want be friend restored and I think that's beyond a little backstreet electrician so tell me, who's really in charge here?" he questioned, his voice booming.

Magpie flinched at his anger, "Yoohoo!" a feminine voice called, "I think that must be me," they all turned to see the Wire on the screen, grinning at them, "Ooh, this one's smart as paint."

"Is she talking to us?" Bishop asked.

"Sorry gentlemen, miss," he nodded at Laila, "I'm…I'm afraid you've brought this on yourselves. May I introduce you to my new…friend."

"Jolly nice to meet you," the Wire greeted.

"Oh my god," Bishop blinked, "It's her, that woman off the telly."

"It's just using her image," Laila told him.

"What…what are you?" Tommy asked, frowning at the woman.

"I'm the Wire," the Wire smirked, "and I will gobble you up, pretty boy," Laila stepped towards him, almost shielding him from the screen, "Every last morsel. And when I have feasted, I shall regain the corporeal body, which my fellow-kind denied me."

The screen gradually colourized, shocking Tommy and the Bishop, "Good Lord," Bishop gasped, "Colour television!"

"So your own people tried to stop you?" the Doctor asked the Wire.

"They executed me," she told him, "But I escaped…in this form…and fled across the stars."

"And now you're trapped in the television."

The smirk faded from her face, and with it, the colour from the television, "Not for much longer," she said.

"Is this what got my gran?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, Tommy," the Doctor nodded, glaring at the Wire, "It feeds off the electrical activity of the brain, but it gorges itself like a great overfed pig. Taking people's faces, their essences, it stuffs itself."

Bishop whipped around to face Magpie, "And you let her do it, Magpie," he said.

"I had to!" Magpie defended, "She allowed me my face! She's promised me to release me at the time of manifestation."

"What does that mean?" Tommy asked.

"The Coronation, of course," Laila explained, "That's why everyone got a television so cheap, and so when it comes down to it, they'll all be in front of the screen, millions of people…just in time for dinner."

"But she's not strong enough yet," the Doctor added, looking at the screen, "Are you? You can't do it all from here. That's why you need this!" he pulled out the portable television, "You need something more powerful! This will turn a big transmitter into a big receiver."

"What clever things you both are!" the Wire remarked, "But why fret about it? Why not just relax? Kick off your shoes and enjoy the coronation. Believe me…you'll be glued to the screen."

Suddenly lines of red light shot out at the Doctor, Tommy, and Bishop's faces. Laila stood nearby, watching with silent horror, "No!" she cried.

"Doctor!" Tommy and Bishop called out painfully.

"Hungry! Hungry! The Wire is hungry!" the Wire moaned, "Ah! This one is tasty. Oh I'll have lashings of him! Delicious! Ah!"

Laila stared as the trio suffered through the Wire and stepped forwards, "No!" the Doctor managed to get out, seeing her moving forwards, "Laila! S…Stay back!"

But he was ignored and she continued to approach them and she reached out her hand, her eyes flashing blue for a moment before she took a hold of the electrical lines, releasing the others from the Wire's hold. They fell to the ground unconscious and she pulled her hand away, barely wincing, "Oh…" the Wire spoke, "…this one has an interesting flavor, so delicious….Magpie!"

Laila turned and everything went dark.

S.S

The Doctor's eyes fluttered open and he shot up, looking over to see the Tommy alright, but the Bishop….

"Tommy, wake up!" he called, shaking him, "Tommy! Come on!"

Tommy groaned and slowly opened his eyes, "What happened?" he asked.

"Where's Magpie?"

Tommy frowned, looking around, "Where's Laila?"

The Doctor's eyes widened and he glanced around the room frantically, not seeing the Time Lady anywhere in sight, "Laila!" he shouted, running outside the shop, seeing that Magpie was gone, and probably took Laila as well. He stopped, his hearts pounding, a terrible feeling developing in his stomach.

She was gone because of him, because he didn't send her to the TARDIS like he should've enforced. Even locking her in there, having to deal with her anger later, was better than this…

"We don't even know where to start looking…" Tommy said, "It's too late."

"It's never too late," the Doctor spoke up, strangely calm, "As a wise person once said…Kylie I think…" he shook his head, "But the Wire's got a big plan…so it'll need…yes, yes, yes, it's got to harness half the population…millions and millions of people…where are we?"

"Muswell Hill."

"Muswell Hill…Muswell Hill!" he nodded, "Which means…" he twisted around until he spotted a large building on the horizon and gestures towards it with both hands, "Alexandra Palace…biggest TV transmitter in North London! Ohh! That's why they chose this place! Tommy?"

"What are you going to do?" Tommy asked. It was kind of odd seeing him so calm, given how he nearly…did something…to his father for even yelling at Laila. Now, she was gone, kidnapped by Magpie and the Wire, and he was just going along like nothing was wrong…

"We're going shopping," the Doctor said, bringing him out of his mind, dashing back inside the shop.

S.S

The Wire chuckled malevolently as the van drove through the streets. In the back of the van, Laila lied on the floor, unconscious. Unbeknownst to the couple up front, a bluish hue began to swirl around the woman.

S.S

Tommy and the Doctor were running about the shop, gathering various items. Tommy rushed over to the Doctor and held up a device to him, "Is this what you want?" he asked.

"Perfect!" the Doctor grinned, "Right, I need one more thing," he handed it back to Tommy and ran to the back of the room.

S.S

The van continued to drive, the back of it now empty.

S.S

Tommy and the Doctor ran out into the streets, both carrying loads of equipment, "Got it," the Doctor said, "Let's go."

They ran off towards their destination.

S.S

Magpie stopped the van, grabbed the portable TV, turning to see that Laila was gone, "Uh…"

Where was she? There was no way she could've gotten out without them noticing first...

"What?" the Wire questioned, seeing the halted process, "What is it? Hurry up! I'm hungry! The Wire is hungry!"

He glanced at the empty space again before continuing on to run up a flight of metal stairs towards the bottom of the transmitter.

S.S

Tommy and the Doctor ran down a street and as the Time Lord plugged a device into Tommy's huge equipment bank, he nearly stumbled over something. He looked down to see Laila lying on the ground, still unconscious.

"Laila!" he kneeled down next to her, checking over her face, seeing a small bruise from where Magpie had hit her, "Laila! Wake up!" he shook her lightly, a pleading note in his face.

"Doctor!" Tommy called, "We have to go! Magpie's getting away!"

He frowned and bit his lip before turning to face the Time Lady, placing a hand over her bruise, and Tommy blinked, stunned, seeing a golden hue emit from his hand before he pulled back, sighing in relief as when he saw a pair of brown eyes staring back up at him, "Why?" she asked quietly, almost sadly, "Why would you do that?"

It was a waste of regeneration energy, she told him that she healed fast, if given by how fast her bruise healed when they were on the parallel Earth. But, of course, he didn't know how she healed so fast…so he could only assume that she used her own regeneration energy to heal herself, but that wasn't the case at all.

"I…" the Doctor shook his head, "Come on!" he gently helped her up, "Magpie's getting away!"

"I just said that!" Tommy said as they started to run again.

S.S

Magpie climbed up the transmitter with a huge effort, sweating, "I can't do this!" he told the Wire, stopping in his tracks, "Please…please don't make me!"

"The time is at hand," the Wire told him, "Feed me! Feed me!"

S.S

The trio continued to run and Tommy spotted Magpie climbing on the pylon of the transmitter, "There!" he pointed.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted, running up to the building, only to be stopped by a guard.

"Woah, Woah, woah!" the guard halted them, "Where do you think…"

He pulled out the psychic paper, holding it up to him.

"Oh! I'm sorry sir!" he held up his hands in an apologetic manner, "Ma'am," he nodded at Laila, who was staring up the building, "Shouldn't you both be at the coronation?"

"They're saving us a seat," the Doctor said and the guard nodded, confusedly, but let them through.

"Who did he think you two were?" Tommy asked as they rounded a corner.

The Doctor glanced at the paper and his eyes widened before he quickly placed it back in his pocket, "Um," he waved him off, "Nothing of importance…" he cleared his throat, "Let's just continue on!" he ran a little faster, or as fast as he could, and Laila followed him.

Tommy raised an eyebrow, before he shrugged, following after the duo.

S.S

The Doctor dashed around the control room, gathering the equipment he needed while Tommy and Laila waited in front of a video machine and television screen, "Keep it switch on," he told them, "Don't let anyone stop you, Tommy. Everyone depends on it. You understand?"

Tommy nodded.

"Good Luck," Laila smiled at him, "Be Careful, will you?"

The Doctor nodded, seemingly hesitating for a moment before he ran out the door, leaving the two in room.

S.S

The Doctor sprinted back around the corner, past the confused guard, trailing a stream of magnetic recording tape behind him from a reel around his waist. He ran up the metal stairs and began to climb up the transmitter, following Magpie.

"You'll get yourself killed up there!" the guard shouted up at him, "Your Majesty!"

S.S

Magpie reached the top of the transmitter, "Feed me!" the Wire ordered and he plugged the portable TV into the main current. The Wire let out a triumphant laugh. Across the country, TV aerials drew in the sparks emitted for the pylon and the people watching the TV were pulled in by the electricity, including Magpie.

"Oh! Feast! Feast….ing!" the Wire moaned, "The Wire….is feasting."

"It's too late!" Magpie cried, "It's too late for all of us!"

"I shall consume you….Doctor," she said, blasting him in the face with red electricity, feeling pleased when he cried out.

"I won't let you do this, Magpie!" the Doctor yelled, wincing in pain.

"Help me Doctor!" Magpie called, "It burns! It took my face…my soul!"

"You cannot stop the Wire," the Wire told them, "Soon I shall become manifest," she blasted the Doctor again and he cried out once more.

"No more of this!" Magpie shouted up to her, "You promised me peace!"

"And peace you shall have."

The electricity surrounding him intensified and he was blown into thousands of particles. The Wire laughed as he screamed and died. The Doctor tried to touch the portable TV but was zapped by red sparks on his hand, "Been burning the candle at both ends?" he called, "You've over extended yourself missus. You shouldn't have had a crack at poor old Magpie there," he picked up the TV and was zapped in the foot, "Rubber souls! Swear by them!" he inserted a switch into the TV, but nothing happened.

"Oh dear!" the Wire laughed as he stared, horrified, "Has our little plan gone horrible wrong, Doctor?"

S.S

Downstairs, Laila watched silently as Tommy realized which device was broken, quickly finding a new one, replaced and re-plugged the machine, "Good job, Tommy," she smiled, proudly.

He grinned at her at that.

S.S

The Doctor watched as the light beams retreated from the pylons, televisions and people…right back into the Wire's portable television. She writhed and wailed in pain.

"It's closed down, I'm afraid," the Doctor said, "…and no epilogue."

With one last piercing shriek from the woman, the television switched off and he stared at it for a moment before he started to climb back down the ladder.

S.S

The Doctor returned to the room, seeing Tommy watching the coronation on the one of the screens, Laila standing by him, both turning once he came in, "What have I missed?" he grinned.

"Doctor!" Tommy rushed over to him, "What happened?"

"Sorted," he said, "Electrical creature, TV technology, clever alien life forms…that's me and Laila by the way," he winked at her, "I turned the receiver back into a transmitter and I trapped the Wire in here," he held up a video, "I just invented the home video 30 years earlier. Betamax."

Laila just laughed before moving over to hug him, which he returned, "I'm glad you're alright," she told him, seriously.

"I could say the same about you," he pulled away from her, "What happened to you?" she frowned, not sure what he was talking about, "I don't get it…why would they just take you and leave you in the middle of the street? Non-faceless…."

She stared at him before lowering her gaze. Actually, the Wire did try and take her face, but she couldn't….of course she herself knew why. She smiled at the Doctor, knowing he was waiting for an answer, "Oh," she gently pushed him in the shoulder, "Let's just be happy that we're all okay," she turned, pointing at the coronation footage, "Oh look! God save the Queen, eh?"

The Doctor frowned, staring at the back of her head, feeling a little more than hurt that she just bluntly lied to him. Though, he suppose, he deserved it.

S.S

Tommy, the Doctor, and Laila returned the Florizel Street, seeing everyone milling around, hugging their previously de-faced loved ones, "Gran!" Tommy shouted, seeing her.

"Look, it's my grandson!" his Gran smiled, "Oh son!"

He ran over to her and hugged her. The Doctor scanned the crowd for Rose, spotting her at about the same time that she spotted him. A wide grin spread across her face, which he returned as he nearly ran over to her. She laughed happily and he threw his arms around her in a hug.

Laila watched the scene, a small smile on her face.

"You know he's going to have to find out eventually, don't you?"

She didn't need to turn around to know who was behind her, "Yeah," she nodded, "I know….I tried to prolong it, but I suppose that time is running out, isn't it?"

A hand was placed on her shoulder and she turned around, seeing no one there. Her gaze turned solemn before she started back towards the TARDIS.

"Laila!"

She stopped and turned, seeing the Doctor run up to her, Rose a little ways behind him, a frown on her own face, probably at the interruption, "Where you going?" he asked.

"You and Rose have fun, Doctor," she said, "I'm…going back to the TARDIS, got other things I have to do."

He laughed, "Take a break," he told her, "Come on! They're throwing a party! Join in the fun," he grinned at her and it almost made her want to stay…almost.

Instead she just shook her head at him and continued on her way, not taking notice to the frown appearing on his face.

S.S

OOOOOOOOHHHHHH! What was that at the end there? Who was that person talking to Laila, you ask? Well, actually you won't find out until Season 4, which is the second and last time they'll appear. Can you guess who it is? Or better yet, what they were talking about?

Awe, now wasn't that just sweet? The Doctor used his own regeneration energy to heal her wound…but Laila is right, he didn't have to do that, and this is like the last time it'll happen…because we're getting a big, BIG, reveal about Laila in The Satan Pit! And some very important questions will be answered…then things really change after that, I can't wait!

Five reviews for today!

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: Good, I'm glad you feel better We'll be seeing in the Satan Pit what one of her powers are, and the title that comes with her will reveal another, but there are more to come. Does it look like they're magically bonded? Do tell…It's not a spoiler unless I tell you everything that happens ;) I didn't tell you what the Master exactly does the Laila that will ignite the almost Oncoming Storm moment. Cool, I'll be sure to check out your story….what will heighten, I think I made it obvious what exactly heightened ;)

Mionerocks: Thank you!

Veyrona: I'm glad you loved it!

The Inquirer: Hehe…I did the whole foreshadowing thing on purpose, you know? It makes the story more interesting because you want to know what happens so badly. No, it's not seeing the past or the future, though that's not saying that ability won't come up, it just won't be one of hers persay…the mystery man will remain a mystery until a certain point in the storyline, I can tell you when it'll happen though, just know it'll be in one of the big moments we'll get before the 11th Doctor comes to place.

E-man-dy-S: Yes, yes they have been, I love her work, especially her Doctor Who stories…well, the Professor and Angel at least, Evy kind of gets on my nerves. Yes, I believe we're all glad he has decided to fix his behavior. Yes! That's exactly why I made her this way in this story. I wanted my first Doctor Who story on here to show characters like her for whom they were on the show. Oh! Thank you, I'm glad you love it.


	19. The Impossible Planet: Kroptor

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Impossible Planet

Chapter 19: Kroptor

* * *

The TARDIS materialized into a small room, groaning and wheezing as she landed. The Doctor, Laila, and Rose stepped out of the doors, looking up at the box, "I dunno what's wrong with her," the Doctor said, "She's sort of…queasy. Indigestion, like she didn't want to land."

Laila smiled a little at that. She supposed she and the TARDIS were one on one accord. She could feel it in her, that the time for the secret she kept to come up, and the time for her departure to follow soon after. It was bubbling inside of her, ready to explode at any given moment…but why now, why now?

"Oh," Rose said, seriously, "If you think there's gonna be trouble, we could always get back inside and go somewhere else…"

She laughed at the absurd notion before noticing it was only her doing so. She looked to see the Doctor staring at Laila, who was focusing her gaze on the floor. She gritted her teeth. Whatever had happened during their last adventure had obviously brought the Time Lord closer to the Time Lady, and despite it being _her_ that lost _her_ _face_, he focused most of his attention on Laila. Though, she could tell that the woman was sad about something. The kind of sad when you realize something special was ending.

Perhaps she was planning on leaving, if only, but that thought only seemed like a wonderful dream to her.

"I think…" the Doctor spoke up, looking around the room, "We've landed inside a cupboard! Here we go!" he pushed the door open and they found themselves in another part of the base.

"Open Door 15," a computerized-voice called out.

"Some sort of base," he noted, "…moon base, sea base, space base….they build these things out of kits."

"Glad we're indoors," Rose remarked, "Sounds like a storm out there…"

"Open Door 16," the computer spoke again as the Doctor opened another door, going through with her and Laila behind him.

"Human design," he said as they walked down a corridor, "You've got a thing about kits. This place was put together like a flat-pack wardrobe, only bigger. And easier," he stopped and opened another door.

"Open Door 17."

They found themselves in a canteen area, "Oh," his eyes widened, striding into the middle of the room, "It's a sanctuary base!"

"Close Door 17."

"Deep space exploration," he nodded, "We've gone way out. And listen to that, underneath…" he pointed downward, indicating for the women to listen. The almost quiet hum of drill echoed up to them, "Someone's drilling."

"Welcome to hell," Laila murmured, making him twist around to face her. She was really starting to worry him. He could tell that something was bothering her, deeply, but she wouldn't tell him what. Of course, that hurt, given that one of his goals was to get her to confide in him…not going so great like he'd planned. He didn't like seeing her sad, or angry, and he always felt like it was his fault she was that way…even if it wasn't likely…because he felt like he should be making her happy, keeping her spirits up, making her laugh, smile…

He shook his head, he was getting ahead of himself a little, "Oh, it's not THAT bad," he tried to grin at her, to get something out of her, but all she did was point at the words scrawled across the wall "Welcome to Hell". He frowned, "Hold on…" he walked closer to it, examining it more closely, "What does that say?" he scanned over the words with his eyes, "That's weird. It won't translate."

Rose frowned, "I thought the TARDIS translated everything, writing as well. We should see English."

"Exactly," he furrowed his brow, "If that's not working, then it means…this writing is old. Very old. Impossibly old," he stood and wandered over to another door, Laila and Rose behind him, "We should find out who's in charge," he began to turn the wheel to open the door, "We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS's knowledge. Not a good move. And if someone's lucky enough…"

"Open Door 19."

The door opened and the Doctor and Rose nearly jumped, stumbling backwards a few steps. Pale, alien-like creatures, with tentacles hanging from where their mouths should've been stood on the other side, blinking at them. A small smile made its way to Laila face as she recognized what the creatures were, and then she frowned, another thought coming to mind.

"Right! Hello! Sorry!" the Doctor raised his hands, trying to regain his composure, "Uh…I was just saying, uh…nice base!"

"We must feed," the creatures said in unison.

"You're gonna what?" he blinked, confused, holding out his arm in front of Laila in a protective sort of manner.

"We must feed," they repeated.

"Yeah," Rose nodded, her narrow eyes glancing at the Doctor's arm, "I think they mean us."

She and the Doctor backed away, the Time Lord pulling Laila behind him as she stood still in her previous spot, eyeing the creatures curiously.

"We must feed."

The Doctor and Rose tried to make for the other door, but it opened and more creatures came flooding through, "We must feed. We must feed. We must feed," another door opened and more came in, cornering the trio, "We must feed. We must feed. We must feed."

Laila glanced down as the Doctor grabbed her hand, feeling an odd tingle run through her hand, and kept her shielded with his body as he pulled and held out the sonic with his other while Rose armed herself with a chair. She knew what the creatures were, she had read about them before, and they were completely harmless if left alone…though they were vulnerable to mind control, given how small their brains were, no offense to them.

"We must feed. We must feed."

With the wall to their back, they stared at the advancing creatures.

"We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed."

"We must feed," one of the creatures shook its head and the white orb he held before him, "You. If you are hungry."

"Sorry?" the Doctor blinked, confused, lowering his sonic.

He heard a chuckle from beside him and he looked to see Laila smiling for the first time since they left London, then it dropped seeing him and Rose staring at her.

"We apologize," the creature spoke, "Electromagnetics have interfered with our speech systems," Rose lowered the chair, eyeing it warily, "Would you like some refreshments?"

"Uhm…" the Doctor began, not quite sure how to respond to that.

"Open Door 18."

They turned, seeing the door open and two men, followed by a girl, barge into the room holding guns, "What the hell…?" one of the men stared at them, as if they shouldn't exist, "How did…?" he approached the Doctor, Rose, and Laila, holding his comm. to his mouth, "Captain…you're not going to believe this. We've got PEOPLE. Out of nowhere. I mean, real people. I mean three….living…people. Just standing here, right in front of me."

The trio stared at the man, bewildered at the unusual reception.

"Don't be stupid," another man's voice reached them from the other end of the comm., "That's impossible."

"I suggest telling THEM that," the first man stated, still looking them.

"But you're a sort of space base, you must have visitors now and then," Rose said, "It can't be that impossible."

"You're telling me you don't know where you are?" he questioned.

"No idea," the Doctor shook his head, "More fun that way," he grinned and Laila shook her head at him.

"Stand by, everyone," a woman called over the comm., "Buckle down. We have incoming. And it's a big one. Quake Point 5 on its way."

Suddenly the base began to tremble and the man from before rushed towards the door, opening it, "Through here!" he urged, "Now. Quickly, come on!" sirens wailed around them as the group ran to follow him through the door, the other two guards behind them, "Now!"

S.S

They ran down another corridor, trying not to fall as the whole place shook violently, keeping out of the way as smoke filtered through the floor, "Move it!" the man shouted over the chaos, "Come on, come on!" Rose screamed as she nearly fell over, sparks flying around them, "Move it, come on! Quickly! Move it!"

S.S

When they reached the end of the hall, the Doctor, Laila, and Rose stopped, seeing that they were in a control room of some sort. People wandered around and stopped and stared at them gaping. The Doctor beamed around at everyone.

"Oh, my GOD," a man, the Captain, spoke up, "You meant it."

"People!" the woman from earlier pointed, "Look at that! Real people!"

"That's us," the Doctor grinned, "Hooray!"

"Yeah, definitely real," Rose nodded, "My name's Rose…Rose Tyler, and…and this is the Doctor," she glanced at Laila, seeing the woman's gaze elsewhere, "That's Laila."

The Doctor shot her a strange look at how she said that. He tried to keep in mind what Mickey had reprimanded them for, though with Rose he was bit vague. He trusted that Rose wouldn't purposefully harm the Time Lady, but at the same time he did, so he kept an eye and ear open for any offhanded remarks she might make…like what had happened before they left the parallel world.

"Come on…." a man walked up to them, bringing him from his thoughts, "the oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating. They can't be…no. They're real!"

"Come ON, we're in the middle of an alert!" the Captain yelled impatiently, "Danny, strap up, the quake's coming in! Impact in thirty seconds!" the countdown clock displayed on a computer screen, showing them the time they had left, "Sorry, you three," he looked at the trio, "Whoever you are. Just…hold on. Tight."

"Hold on to what?" Rose asked.

"Anything," he shrugged, "I don't care. Just hold on. Ood, are we fixed?"

The Doctor, Rose, and Laila looked around before finding some railings to hold on to.

"Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated," the creature from before, the Ood, said.

"What's this planet called, anyway?" the Doctor asked.

"Now, don't be stupid," one of the women said, looking at him, "It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name?" he raised an eyebrow, "You really don't know, do you?"

"And….IMPACT!" the Captain called just as the entire base shook violently, more so than previously. The crew, the Doctor, Laila, and Rose clung on tight, and it was over pretty quickly. The Doctor tried to stand but Laila held him down, looking around, suspiciously.

The base shook again more powerfully than it did before and they clung to the rails tighter. The rumbling caused a small explosion to erupt from one of the consoles. Spark flew around the room and they were tossed around like rag-dolls before everything calmed…

"Okay," the Captain looked around, "That's it," one of the men rush forwards with a fire extinguisher, "Everyone alright? Speak to me, Ida?"

"Yeah, yeah!" she affirmed.

"Danny?"

"Fine," he nodded.

"Toby?"

"Yeah, fine," he said.

"Scooti?"

"No damage," she told him.

"Jefferson?"

"Check!" he called over his shoulder as he sprayed out the flames.

"We're fine, thanks fine, yeah, don't worry about us," the Doctor spoke before turning to Laila, "How'd you know there would be another…?"

She glanced at him, "I didn't," she said softly, "But I've read about aftershocks in some Earth books before, so?" she shrugged and averted her gaze, taking in the messy room. Papers, folders, equipment, everything littered the floor from when the quake knocked them down.

The Doctor raked his eyes over her for a moment, "You okay?" he asked, "You're not hurt are you?"

It was an odd question, considering he was right next to her the whole while, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

She nodded, but didn't say a word. It was hard though, not speaking to him like she wanted to. She wasn't completely ignoring him like he did to her, but just keeping out of his and Rose's way, talking only when asked a question. She didn't want to grow closer to him when she knew she was leaving soon…it would only make the departure hurt more and harder for her to go through with it.

"The surface has caved in," the Captain informed them as he stared at one of the computer screens, "I deflected it onto storage five through eight. We've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link."

"That's not my department," Toby countered.

"Just do as I say, yeah?" he shot him a look that left no further arguments.

Toby sighed before he grudgingly left the room.

"Oxygen holding," Ida said, "Internal gravity 56.6. We should be okay."

"Never mind the earthquake," Rose interrupted, listening to the noise coming from outside, "That's….that's one hell of a storm. What is that, a hurricane?"

"You'd need an atmosphere for a hurricane," Scooti told her, "There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum."

"Then what's shaking the roof?" she frowned.

"You're not joking," Ida blinked, incredulous, "You really don't know?" the Doctor, Laila, and Rose gave her looks that answered her question, "Well…introductions. FYI, as they said in the olden days. I'm Ida Scott, science officer," she motioned towards the Captain, "Zachary Cross Flane, acting Captain, sir…you've met Mr. Jefferson," the man nodded at them, "He's head of security. Danny Bartock. Ethic committee."

"Not as boring as it sounds," Danny assured them. The Doctor and Rose grinned at him, even Laila managed a small smile.

"And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed, archaeology, and this…" she placed her hands on Scooti's shoulders, "...is Scooti Manista. Trainee maintenance," Scooti smiled at them as Ida moved over to a set of controls, "And this….is home," she turned a lever and a whirring sound started up.

"Brace yourselves," Zach said, "The sigh of it sends some people mad."

They all watched as an overhead window opened up, flooding the room with a reddish light, revealing a black hole stationed above them. The Doctor, Laila, and Rose stood, starting as the light was sucked into it.

"That's a black hole," Rose blinked.

"But that's impossible," the Doctor breathed. It defied all sort sorts of laws! Laws made by geniuses before their time.

"I did warn you," Zach said.

"We're standing under a black hole," he shook his head, not able to wrap his mind around it.

"We're in orbit," Ida nodded.

"But that can't be…." Laila looked at her then back to the black hole…but it seemed like they were…or were they?

"You can see for yourself," she said, "We're in orbit.

"How can a rock be suspended in a perpetual geostationary orbit without falling in?" she asked, "A black hole is a dead star collapsed in on itself, the matter is dense enough to pull other objects, no matter how heavy, or impossible to the naked eye…light, gravity…nothing can escape it…." she furrowed her brow, "You've achieved the supposedly impossible," then she added quietly to herself, "…for humans."

The Doctor frowned at that, having heard her. What did she mean for humans? It was logically impossible for any species, even the most advanced, to escape a black hole.

"And yet….here we are," Ida smiled, "Beyond the laws of physics. Welcome on board."

"But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?" Rose asked, pointing up to a cloud rapidly speeding towards the black hole."

"Stars breaking up….gas clouds…." Ida explained, "We have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads before falling into that thing."

"So, a bit worse than a storm, then?"

"Just a bit."

Rose nodded, "Just a bit, yeah."

The base began to shake again.

S.S

Toby walked into one of the corridors with a couple of scrolls tucked under his arm.

"Toby…." a voice whispered, seemingly coming from all directions. He stopped and looked around, puzzled. The lights flickered out, plunging him into darkness, only to come back on a few moments later.

"Who's that?" Toby called, scanning the hall for the source of the voice, but saw no one, "Danny?" again no one appeared. He glanced around for a minute before moving through another door, heading back into the control room where the Doctor, Rose, and Laila were crowded around a control panel.

"Close Door 1," the computer called.

"The rocket link's fine," he told Zach, who pressed a button of the controls and brought up a hologram of the black hole. The Doctor pulled on his glasses on, eyeing it.

"That's the black hold officially designated K37 Gen 5," Zach informed them.

"In the scriptures of the Falltino, this planet is called 'Kroptor'," Ida stated, "The bitter pill. And the black hole is supposed to be a might demon. It was tricked into devouring the planet, only to spit it out. Because it was poison."

"The bitter pill," Rose said, "I like that."

"We are so far out," the Doctor examined, "Lost in the drifts of the universe…" he turned to Zach, "How did you even GET here?!"

"We flew in," he simply said, "You see…" he pressed another button and the hologram changed one of the planet with a gravity field emanating out of it like a tunnel, "This planet's generating a gravity field. We don't know how…we've no idea, but…it's kept in constant balance against the black hole. And the field extends out there," he motioned towards it, "As a funnel. A distinct…gravity funnel, reaching out into clear space. That was our way in."

Laila blinked, staring at the diagram, a thoughtful look on her face. The Doctor glanced at her to see a small frown on her face, her eyes wavering over the hologram, narrowed as she tried to figure it out. She bit her lip then looked at him and they stared at each other for a moment before she averted her gaze, seeming sad once more. He frowned and looked away as well.

"You flew down that thing?" Rose grinned, not seeing the little moment between the two, "Like a rollercoaster."

"By rights," Zach said, "The ship should've been torn apart. We lost the Captain…which is what put me in charge…"

"You're doing a god job," Ida consoled him.

"Yeah," he sighed, "Well, needs must."

"But if that gravity funnel closes," Danny called from his spot beside Scooti, "There's no way out."

"We had fun speculating about that," Scooti rolled her eyes.

"Oh, yeah. That's the word," he whacked her lightly on the head with a scroll, "'Fun'"

"But that field would take phenomenal amounts of power!" the Doctor furrowed his brow, "I mean…not just big, but off the scale! Can I…?" he gestured towards the controls.

"Sure," Ida nodded, "Help yourself," she pushed the calculator over to him and left him and Laila to it. One of the Ood approached Rose and handed her a cup.

"Your refreshment," it said.

"Oh yeah, thanks," she took it, "Thank you. I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"We have no titles," it told her, "We are as one," it left and she stared at it before approaching Danny.

"Uhm, what are they called?" she gestured towards it.

"Oh, come on," he shot her an incredulous look. "Where've you been living? Everyone's got one!"

"Well, not me, so what are they?" she asked.

"They're the Ood," he told her.

"The 'Ood'?" she tested the word on her tongue.

"The Ood," he nodded.

"Well that's….ood."

"Very ood!" he grinned, "But handy. They work the mine shafts. All the drilling and stuff. Supervisions, and maintenance! They're born for it. Basic slave race."

"You've got slaves?" she started to frown.

"Don't start…" Scooti said, amusedly, "She's like one of that lot. Friends of the Ood."

"Well maybe I am, yeah," she said, annoyed, "Since when do humans need slaves?"

It didn't seem right to her considering everything they went through with slavery on Earth.

"But the Ood offer themselves," Danny tried to reason, "If you DON'T give them orders, they just pine away and die."

"Seriously?" Rose turned to face one of the Ood as it approached her, "You like being ordered about?"

"It is all we crave," it confirmed.

"Why's that, then?"

"We have nothing else in life."

"Yeah, well I used to think like that," she glanced at the Doctor, narrowing her eyes a bit at the proximity between him and Laila, "A long time ago."

"There we go," the Doctor stood, finished with the calculator, "D'you see? To generate that gravity field, and the funnel…" he nodded at Laila, wanting her to finish.

She stared at him for a moment before sighing internally, "You'd need a power source with an inverted self-extrapolating reflex of six to the power of six every six seconds…which is impossible."

Zach gaped at the duo, "It took us two years to work that out!"

The Doctor smiled modestly, "We're very good."

"But…that's why we're here," Ida said, "This power source is ten miles below through solid rock. Point zero. We're drilling down to try and find it."

"It's giving off readings of over ninety stats on the Blazen Scale," Zach added.

"We could revolutionize modern science," she smiled enthusiastically.

"We could use it to fuel the Empire," Jefferson suggested.

"Or start a war," the Doctor took off his glasses.

"It's buried beneath us," Toby spoke, "In the darkness, waiting."

"What's your job?" Rose eyed him, "Chief…dramatist?" she smiled seeing the Doctor smirk at that from the corner of her eye.

"Well," he continued, rolling his eyes at her, "Whatever it is down there is not a natural phenomena. And this, er, planet once supported life. Eons ago, before the human race had even learned to walk."

"I saw that lettering written on the wall," the Doctor looked at him, "Did YOU do that?"

He nodded, "I copied it from fragments we found on earth by the drilling, but I can't translate it."

"No, neither can I," he frowned, "And that's saying something."

"There was some form of civilization. They buried something. Now it's reaching out. Calling us in."

"And you came," the Doctor grinned.

"Well, how could we not?" Ida said.

"So, when it comes right down to it, why did you come here?" he asked, "Why did you do that? Why? I'll tell you why. Because it was THERE. Brilliant. Excuse me, ah, Zach," he turned to the Captain, "wasn't it?"

Zach nodded, "That's me."

"Just stand there, 'cos I'm gonna hug you. Is that all right?"

Jefferson stared at him oddly and Laila shook her head, though she was smiling a little at his antics.

"I s'pose so…" he nodded slowly.

"Here we go," the Doctor edged towards him, "Coming in," he threw his arms around him and hugged him, beaming, "Ahh, human beings, you are amazing!" Ida looked at him, bemusedly, "Ha!" Rose chuckled as he released the man, "Thank you."

"Not at all," Zach blinked.

"But apart from that," he continued, "You're completely mad. You should pack your bags and get back in that ship and fly for your lives."

"You can talk!" Ida countered, "And how the hell did YOU get here?"

"Oh, I've got this um…this…." he struggled to explain it without actually telling them, "It's hard to explain, it just sort of…appears."

"We can show you," Rose said, "We parked down the corridor from um…oh, what's it called? Uh, habitation area…"

"Three," he recalled.

"Three," she nodded, "Three."

"Do you mean storage six?" Zach raised an eyebrow and Laila's eyes widened, remembering something he had said earlier.

"Uh, it was a bit of a cupboard, yeah," the Doctor grinned, cheerfully. He looked at Laila to see an odd look on her face and she looked at him and his grin slowly dropped, "Storage six, but you said…" he turned to Zach and Ida, "You said….you said storage five to eight."

Without a moment's hesitation, he turned on his heel and dashed from the room, Laila right behind him. Rose frowned in confusion before following after the couple.

S.S

I know Laila didn't speak much during this part, and she won't really speak a lot unless she's spoken to, because she knows she has to leave soon…and no, she's not psychic or anything…it'll be explained later….

Nine reviews, thanks!

Veyrona: Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter.

Mionerocks: So much, but a couple of important questions will be answered at the end of this whole two part episode, and some more at the end of the season coming afterwards. Yes, the person is someone that you all know.

Artsoccer: (1) Yes, she is a Time Lady. (2) She's not his daughter…(3) You don't have to hate her, I'm just showing how immature she was in the actual show instead of making her someone she's not when it comes to strangers and the Doctor. (4) Hehe…she's still not his daughter, nor will she ever be…

Dream Lightning: Nope, it's neither the 11th Doctor nor the Master, but it is someone that you know…kind of…aw, we can't get rid of Rose early, because then we won't have that conversation the Doctor's going to have with her….that oh so special conversation about Laila.

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: If you mean will she use them in Doomsday, then yes, she will. We'll see what happens when it comes time for that particular scene. What psychic? And no, they're not a married couple. She's a popular author, so…

The Inquirer: Nope, not Jack. No, she doesn't have the power to look into their minds…I mean she can, it's a natural Time Lord ability, but it's not the one she's hiding…we'll be finding out very soon!


	20. The Impossible Planet: Trapped

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Impossible Planet

Chapter 20: Trapped

* * *

The Doctor sprinted down the corridor, Laila and Rose right behind him, "What is it?" Rose shouted after him, "What's wrong?"

He frantically opened the door, not taking a moment to breathe before they were off again, running through the canteen area, "Open Door 19," the computer announced, "Close Door 19."

He spun the wheel to the next door leading into the next hall, "Stupid doors, come ON!" it opened and they ran through into the corridor.

"Open Door 17."

They dashed down the hall, opening another door…

"Open Door 15."

The Doctor slammed himself against the next door, frantically trying to open it but it wouldn't budge. Laila just stared at him, worriedly.

"Door 16 out of commission," the computer said.

"Can't be, can't be!" he cried, a complete wreck.

"What's wrong?!" Rose questioned, running up the the duo, still confused, "What is it?" she watched as he opened a small round window in the door and looked through it, "Doctor, the TARDIS is in there. What's happened?"

"The TARDS is gone," he breathed before backing away from the window, absolutely horrified. His hand twitched and he found himself holding onto Laila's, her hand giving his a comforting squeeze. He started to feel a little better….just a little…

"Door 16 out of commission."

"The earthquake," he explained shakily, "This section collapsed."

Rose stared at him, puzzled, her gaze flickering towards their hands for a second, "But it's gotta be out there somewhere," she moved over to peer out of the window to see the rocky landscape of the planet.

"Look down."

She looked down to see a large gaping chasm right beneath the base.

S.S

The Doctor, Rose, and Laila walked back to the control room where the Doctor explained what had occurred to Zach, "The ground gave in," he said urgently, "My TARDIS must've fallen down right into the heart of the planet. But you've got robot drills heading the same way."

"We can't diver the drilling," Zach told him, then turned and walked off. The Doctor blinked before following him.

"But I NEED my ship," he told him, "It's all I've got…." Rose started to smirk, seeing he left Laila out of that, and then she frowned realizing she was in the same predicament, "Literally the only thing."

Laila found herself wincing at that, it…hurt, like _hurt_. She swallowed and fixated her gaze on her shoes, trying not to focus on what he'd just said. She managed a small smile, she suppose it was a good thing he felt that way, she wouldn't have to worry about hurting him too badly when she left…if he'd be hurt at all, but if she had to go by his action since 'the thing', then she supposed he would be…

"Doctor," Zach turned to face the man, obviously irritated, "WE'VE only got the resources to drill ONE central shaft down to the power source, and that's it. No diversions, no distractions…NO EXCEPTIONS. Your machine is lost," he sighed, "All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place, and that…is the end of it."

He walked off and Ida approached the Doctor, who was staring into the empty space, a helpless look on his face, "I'll uh…put you on the duty roster," she told him, "We need someone in the laundry," she glanced at him, then followed Zach out the room.

"Open Door 1."

Rose looked at the Doctor, but he wasn't looking at her, no, he was looking at Laila, as always, THEN he turned to face her. One of the Ood left the room as well, leaving the trio alone.

"Close Door 1."

The Doctor moved in between Rose and Laila, settling on the control panels there, "I've trapped you here…the both of you," he said quietly.

"No," Rose shook her head, "Don't worry about me," the base started to shake again, "Okay, we're on a planet that shouldn't exist, under a black hole…and no way out," he glanced at her and she caught his eyes, "Yeah, I've changed my mind. Start worrying about me," she laughed nervously.

Laila looked at the two, then she walked away from them and out the door, "Open Door 1," she didn't notice the Doctor's gaze on her as she did, his expression shifting from guilty, to unwavering concern, "Close Door 1."

The Doctor shifted his eyes, focusing his attention on the wall beside him. It hurt him that he couldn't do anything to help her, because he _didn't know_ what was wrong. Couldn't she see that he was right there? He'd listen to _whatever_ she had to say, attentively. He was there….he didn't like seeing her sad, he liked it when she was happy….it…it made him happier.

S.S

Toby sat in his office, examining fragments of the ancient scrolls he gathered earlier beneath a microscope. The music he was playing was cut off sharply, the buzz of electricity replacing the noise. He looked up, furrowing his brow, then shrugged, dismissing it.

"Toby…." the voice from earlier whispered, making his head jerk up at the sound. His eye scanned over the room before he decided it best to ignore it, going back to the scrolls, "I can see you…."

"Danny, is that you?" he called, irritated, "It's…it's not funny, all right?" there was no reply so he got up and strided over to the door, "Dan?" he opened the door and emerged into the corridor, looking from one end to the other, but seeing neither a hair nor trace of anyone, "I'm…I'm trying to work, Daniel," he peered around the dark hall, disturbed, "Look, if…if that's you, then can you just stop it…?"

The lights flickered again and he headed back inside, and then paused, hearing a low growl sound from mid-air. He once again glanced up and down the hall, but it was still deserted, and the sound stopped.

S.S

The Doctor, Rose, and Laila were in the canteen area, Rose and the Doctor sitting near the ancient text on the wall, the Doctor staring at it with his brow furrowed. Rose frowned, noting how he seemed to be gritting his teeth a bit, glancing ever so often at where Laila was, where Danny was speaking to her about something, something they couldn't hear. Whatever it was, it was making her smile a bit, and that obviously was irritating the Time Lord…which she hated.

He should be getting jealous over the fact that guys found _her_ attractive, not that Time Lady. Some might say she was overreacting, but she didn't care! It wasn't fair! Even when she wasn't doing anything, even when she left the Doctor and her alone, she still managed to affect their relationship! He seemed more reserved when she wasn't in the room with them, except for when Mickey was with them, but that was during 'the thing'.

She didn't understand it, what did the woman have that she didn't? No, the better question was, what was it about the Time Lady that just drew in his attention? She was…eh….when it came to her looks. She wasn't entertaining, all she did was spew out facts, like some sort of computer….though the Doctor did do the same thing, but at least he had fun with it! She wasn't that into their adventures like she herself was, and she obviously didn't share the Doctor's best interest at heart either….at least _she_ wasn't brooding around all the time.

"Danny, check the temperature of Ood Habitation," Zach called over to the boy, knocking her from her thoughts. She watched the Doctor's irritated look turn into one of comfort, and she found herself gritting her own teeth, sending a small glare in Laila's direction. She stood and walked over to the hatch, taking her eyes off the woman as she tried to figure out what she needed.

"Help yourself," Scooti told her, having already gotten her tray, "Just don't have the green. Or the blue," she laughed and walked away. Rose picked up her tray and moved towards the hatch, seeing an Ood serving the food.

"Uh," she peered at all the items, which were few, and pointed at what she thought looked good, "Bit of that, thanks."

The Ood spooned some sloppy blue goop into her tray, "Would you like sauce with that?" he asked.

"I'll have a go, yeah," she nodded, looking on as he poured the addition into the tray.

She grinned, "I did that job once," she recalled that adventure somewhat fondly, "I was a…a dinner lady! Not that I'm calling you a lady. Although. I dunno, you might be. Do you actually get paid, though? Do they give you money?"

"The Beast and his Armies shall rise from the Pit to make war against God," the Ood said politely.

"….I'm sorry?" she blinked, unsure if she heard right.

It tapped its communication orb, "Apologies," it said, "I said "I hope you enjoy your meal"."

"Yeah…" she nodded slowly, completely thrown off, and picked her tray, then walked back over to the Doctor.

S.S

Zach was working in the control room, typing on the computer, "Drill head now at Point 16," the computer announced with an illustrative diagram to show him. He tapped in a few key and looked up, "Drill head speed increasing."

"Keep pressure at 60," he said and stood, walking over to another set of controls. Behind him an image of a horned beast replaced the hologram of the planet. It roared quietly. Zach turned around, as if hearing it, but it was gone. He looked around him nervously, feeling like something was watching him.

S.S

Danny walked up to a door in the corridor, turning the wheel to enter the next room, "Close Door 3," the computer said.

"I've ClOSED Door 3," he frowned, about to walk on when…

"He is awake."

He stopped in his tracks, "What did you say?" he asked.

"Close Door 3," it said and he narrowed his eyes and walked over to a circular window, peering through it.

S.S

Toby looked over the rest of the fragments of the ancient text, his brow furrowed in deep concentration, the room deadly silent, "Toby…" the voice called and his head snapped up, about to turn around, "Don't turn around."

"Dan…." Toby said, a hint of fear in his voice, breathing in heavily, "That's not Dan," he started to turn again...

"Don't look at me," the voice commanded and he obeyed, but glanced out of the corner of his eye every few seconds.

"Who…who are you?" he asked.

"I have so many names," it said.

"If…If I could…." he desperately wanted to turn around, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"If you look at me, you will die," it warned.

"But who are you?" he asked again.

"I'm behind you, Toby. I'm right behind you."

Toby jerked his head again, trying not to turn and look.

"Don't look…Don't look at me."

It was as if it was taunting him, making him want to turn around more and more. He could feel himself trembling.

"One look and you will die."

"I'm reaching out, Toby," it continued, "I'm so close. Don't turn around. Oh, I can touch you…."

That being the last straw, Toby turned around and stopped….nothing was there and the room was silent once more. He breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help but feel bewildered and perturbed. The lights flickered out in the corridor and he looked down at his gloved hands, a frown on his face, as if feeling something. He turned them over, examining them. Putting down the broken pieces of the artifact he was previously studying, he pulled the gloves off, and peered at the back of his hands, which were normal. Then he turned them around and gasped, seeing the ancient symbols, similar to the ones he was looking over, imprinted into his skin. He stood in shock, only able to stare. He picked up the mirror on his desk and looked at his face, his mouth falling open. Not only were his hands stained with the ancient symbols, but his eyes were a blood shade of red. He threw the mirror down onto his desk, not able to stare at the image any longer. Suddenly, his whole body arched as if he as in a terrible pain and he fell to his knees. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell forwards until he hit the floor with a thud, unconscious.

S.S

Laila look up at the ceiling as the lights flickered on and off and she frowned, eyeing them curiously.

"Zach," Ida called into her wrist watch, "…have we got a problem?"

"No more than usual," Zach responded, "Got the Scarlet System burning up, it might be worth a look."

Ida looked at the Doctor, who was sitting beside Laila at the table, and Rose who sat opposite of him, "You might wanna see this," she told them, "Moment in history," she pulled a lever and the overhead shuttered, letting them see the black hole again, flooding the room with a soft red light, "There," she pointed, "One the edge," the trio watched as a red light spiraled into the black hole, "The red cloud…that used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi…a mighty civilization spanning a billion years…disappearing. Forever. Their planets and suns consumed," she gazed up at it, fascinated, as are the others as the last of the Scarlet System disappeared into the hole, "Ladies and gentlemen….we have witnessed its passing."

She moved to pull the lever to close the shutters again, but Laila stopped her, "Could you leave it open for just a bit?" she asked and the Doctor looked at her, his brow furrowed in puzzlement, then they rose in understanding.

"Yeah," he nodded, agreeing with her, "Um…we won't go mad, we promise."

"How would you know?" Ida asked and he just smiled, "Scooti, check the lockdown," Scooti nodded and exited the room, "Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me," she walked with him out the door, leaving the Doctor, Rose, and Laila alone again.

"Open Door 18."

"I've seen films and things, yeah…" Rose said, staring up at the sky, "They say that black holes are like gateways to another universe."

"Close Door 18."

"Not that one," the Doctor shook his head, "It just eats."

"Long way from home…."

He glanced at her for a moment, "Go that way," he pointed, showing her where, "Turn right, keep going for hum…about five hundred years…then you'll reach the Earth."

Rose took her phone out of her pocket and pressed a couple of keys, "No signal," she said, "That's the first time we've gone out of range. Mind you, even if I could…" she blinked, frowning, "…what would I tell her…? Can you build another TARDIS?" she laughed half-heartedly.

"They're grown, not built," he corrected lightly, "And with our planet gone….we're kind of stuck," he shot Laila a look that she caught, despite not looking directly at him.

"Do…Do you think I resent you, Doctor?" she asked.

He furrowed his brow, "How…?"

How did she know that was what he was thinking about? Yeah, Time Lords used to have the natural ability to read each other's thoughts, but that changed drastically over the years since the first Time Lord generation. Reading minds became something more sacred, and only came with a special bond that was impossible to even start, nevertheless finish, so…..it wasn't probable that she read his mind.

"I don't resent you," she turned her head slightly to look at him, "How can I?"

He stared at her and a nice warm feeling washed over him, and he suddenly felt nervous, but it wasn't the bad kind of nervous. He opened his mouth to respond….

"Well, it could be worse," Rose interrupted their moment, purposefully; her eyes narrowed a bit, "This lot said they'd give us a lift."

He looked at her with a small smile, the warmth still buzzing around in him, "And then what?"

"I dunno…" she shrugged, "Find a planet….get a job….live a life, same as the rest of the universe."

"Pfft…" he waved off the idea, "I'd have to settle down. In a house or something, a proper house with….with…with….with DOORS and things. Carpets! Me!" Laila shook her head, not able to picture him living that sort of life, "Living in a house!" Rose laughed at the ludicrous idea, "Now that….that is terrifying."

"You'd have to get a mortgage," she teased, sing-song.

He mock-gasped, staring at her in horror, "…No."

"Oh yes," she nodded, grinning.

"I am dying," he overdramatized, "That's it. I am dying, it is all over," he smiled seeing Laila chuckling a little at his actions.

"What about me?" Rose asked, laughing, "I'd have to get one too. I dunno, could….could be the same one, we could both…." the Doctor looked at her and she caught his eyes, "I dunno….share. Or not, you know. Whatever."

The Doctor blinked at that, at what she was implying, or at least what he thought she was implying….and he felt strange, like _really_ strange. The thought of that happening between them was just _wrong_ to him, so _wrong_. He also felt guilty for some reason, like her suggesting that was his fault, and that he should be begging on his knees for forgiveness. It was just like when Reinette had kissed him, but he felt even worse when that had happened than he did now! Which was probably because he wasn't sure if Rose was making a move on him or not….

Rose peered up at the Doctor, seeing his blank look, not able to see his inner turmoil, "I dunno," she said quickly and he blinked, coming out of his thoughts, "We'll sort something out…"

"Anyway," he said, changing the subject.

"We'll see!" she laughed, hoping it would make the situation lighter….it didn't.

They all sat in silence for a moment, taking the time to think about the situation more, "I promised Jackie I'd always take you back home," the Doctor said.

"Everyone leaves home in the end," she told him.

"Not to end up stuck here," he countered.

"Yeah, but stuck with you…." she smiled at him, "That's not so bad."

He opened his mouth and then closed it and tried to smile at her, but failed. He was terrible at this….what was wrong with him? Just like Reinette, Rose was nice looking, she wanted to travel with him and she loved it. It was odd though, he never once thought about her in that way, not once. He hadn't thought about anyone that way except….no…no, no, no, no, no! He didn't, he couldn't, nope, it wasn't right, was it? But then again it was….

Rose's smile dropped at his apparent discomfort and she cleared her throat just as her phone rang, making stare down at it, "He is awake," the voice said over the other end and she flung the phone down to the floor, stunned.

S.S

Oh my god….has the Doctor realized what I think he has realized? Maybe ;) We'll see a tiny glimpse of something at the end of The Satan Pit and we'll _definitely_ see something at the end of Doomsday!

Four reviews!

Mionerocks: Thanks!

Shannon the chameleon: Is it wrong that I laughed when I saw this? And every time I read it?

The Inquirer: Thank you! I thought I put three, I had it in my mind to put three, but I must've been typing too fast and put two…but I changed it! Well, by the time we get to Jack, Laila will be different in a way, but what kind of way we'll have to see, but she'll definitely be meeting him. No, she won't have a fight with Rose, more like Rose will say something to her that's not-so-nice. I can't answer those questions, sorry, because we'll have to see what happens during that whole scenario. She will answer that particular question, about why she has to leave after she reveals the secret, at the end of The Satan Pit. Who knows how the Doctor really feels, huh? He could be faking it all, but that's not going to happen here, don't worry. And her secret is very special, and is the cause of why she was called The Lonely Goddess by Mr. Finch.

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: It is okay, I was just wondering what you were talking about. Hm, you're very smart; we'll have to see if that's the case. Yep, she has quite a few powers, some natural and others dealing with what she is. Enemies? Yes, she does have enemies, but they're not towards her in particular. You'll see that a lot of the things that happen to her are due to what she is and not who she is. Yeah, sorry, I can't tell you, all I can say is that your questions will be answered soon.


	21. The Impossible Planet: The Ood

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Impossible Planet

Chapter 21: The Ood

* * *

The Doctor, Laila, and Rose bounded down the stairs in the base to see Danny standing in the Ood Habitation, "Evening!" the Doctor called.

"Only us!" Rose smiled, despite still feeling the effects of the Doctor basically rejecting her. She had thought about it a bit, and she came to a conclusion, she was being too vague. He was probably unsure of what she was talking about, thus leaving him unable to respond.

"Hello," Laila smiled a little at him, though it was strained a little. It hurt too much to pretend that she was alright around the Doctor; she didn't feel comfortable lying to him in that sort of fashion, or really lying to him at all….lying to anyone really. She still tried to speak to him whenever she could though, if the moment called for it, as to not be a hypocrite and do the same thing he did to her.

Danny smiled back at her and the Doctor found himself narrowing his eyes, an irritated feeling rising in him. It wasn't that he was mad that he was smiling at her, it was just…he wasn't sure where the two stood, if…if they had a lot in common…or if they had _some_ sort of connection. He just felt…uncomfortable…not knowing…

"The mysterious trio," Danny turned back to the computer, "How are you, then? Settling in?"

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, "Sorry, straight to business," his expression turned serious, "The Ood…how do they communicate? I mean, with each other," he peered over the edge of the railing, to see the creatures sitting in what almost looked like an animal-pen.

"Oh," he shrugged, "Just empaths. There's a low level telepathic field connecting them. Not that that does THEM much good. They're basically a herd race. Like cattle."

"The telepathic field…" he wondered, "Can it pick up messages?"

"'Cos I was having dinner," Rose explained, "And one of the Ood said something….well, odd."

"Oh," Danny smiled, "An odd Ood."

"And then I got something else on my er…" she continued, not sure how to explain it, "Communicator thing."

Laila glanced down at that, feeling the odd buzz she felt when Rose explained what had happened earlier. Whatever it was that was causing all of this, these impossibilities, obviously they were bringing out what she tried to keep so hidden.

"Oh, be fair," Danny countered, "We've got whole star systems burning up around us. There's all sort of stray transmissions. Probably nothing," the trio stared at him, looking far from convinced, "Look…if there was something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill."

"Monitor the field," the Doctor nodded to the computer, "That's this thing?"

The reading on the screen showed 'Basic 5', "Yeah," he nodded, "But like I said, it's low level telepathy. They only register Basic five."

"Well, that's not Basic 5," he said as the screen now read 'Basic 6' before it started to rise again, higher and higher, "10…."

Rose watched curiously as the Ood suddenly raised their head in unison as the number rose, "20…." He continued, and then turned to Danny, "They've gone up to Basic 30."

"Another impossibility…" Laila murmured, but they heard her.

Danny nodded his head, agreeing with her, "Yeah, they can't…."

"Doctor, the Ood…" Rose said and they all turned to see the Ood, as one, look up at the four of them on the balcony, "What does Basic 30 mean?"

"Well, it means that they're shouting…" Danny explained, baffled, "…screaming inside their heads."

"Or something's shouting at them…" the Doctor wondered aloud quietly, his eyes connecting with Laila's, seeing the concern in them. The feeling was mutual; something else was going on here.

"But…" he moved over the computer, his fingers getting to work across the keyboard, "Where is it coming from? What is it saying? I mean…" he looked at Rose, "What did it say to you?"

"Something about the beast in the pit," Rose shrugged, not sure what it meant.

"What about you communicator?" he pressed, "What did that say?"

She paused, thinking about it briefly, "He is awake."

"And you will worship him," the Ood said as one.

"What the hell?" Danny frowned and they all turned to face the creatures as they stared up at them.

"He is awake," the Doctor addressed them.

"And you will worship him," they repeated.

"Worship who?" he asked, "Who's talking to you?" they didn't reply, "Who is it?"

S.S

Scooti walked into Toby's room, holding a file in her hands, "Toby, I've got your expenditure…." she blinked, noting the deserted room and placed the file on the desk.

"Open Door 41."

She paused, confused as the sound of a door opening reached her ears.

"Close Door 41."

The door closed and she looked around, disturbed, "41…." she mumbled before running out of the room and into the corridor, heading in the direction of the door. She frantically opened door 40…

"Close Door 40," the computer announced as she closed it. She dashed over to the control panel sitting next to Door 41.

"Computer," she started, "Did you open and close Door 41?"

"Confirmed," it said.

"But…" she frowned, confused, "That's the airlock. Why would you open the airlock? It's the night shift, we're not allowed outside. Has someone gone out?"

"Confirmed."

"But who was it?" she asked.

"Cannot confirm."

"Okay…" she thought for a second, "But hold on, I know, tell me whose spacesuits been logged out."

"No spacesuit has been logged out."

"But….you're not making any sense," she shook her head, "You can't go outside without…" she took a breath and held up her comm., "Zach, I think we've got breakdown on Door 41, it's saying somebody's gone outside into the planet's surface," the device cracked and fizzled but there was no reply. She tapped it thrice, "Zach? Zach?" she turned and spoke into the control panel again, "Computer, trace fault."

"There is no fault," it informed her.

"Tell me who when through that door!" she nearly shouted, irritated.

"He is awake."

She paused and blinked, "What?"

"He is awake," it repeated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"He bathes in the black sun," it said.

Scooti stepped away from the control panel, disturbed, and looked as a shutter opened on a window a little way around the corridor, revealing Toby there with no spacesuit, his back turned to the window. Her eyes widened in shock, stepping back when he turned to her, a huge menacing smile breaking out across his face. Her eyes washed over him, seeing the ancient symbols lining up on his arms and face, his eyes red.

"Toby…." she breathed, "But there's no air, there's no…"

Toby, with the same terrible smile, raised his hand and beckoned to her. Her eyes became moist, as if she were in a trance, and she reached towards him, "No!" she shook her head, pushing back the feeling, "Stop it! You can't be!"

The smile faded from his face and his outstretched hand clenched into a fist and the sound of glass cracking filled the air. Scooti gasped as the cracks and fissures appeared on the window and ran towards the door, "Open Door 40!" she shouted, "Open Door 40!" she rattled the wheel but the door wouldn't budge, "OPEN DOOR 40! OPEN DOOR 40!" the cracks stretched further across the window and her face screwed up with terror, "Open Door 40…"

Finally the glass exploded and the force of gravity pulled the shards outward, as well as sending her into the open space, screaming.

S.S

The Doctor, Rose, and Laila were down in the pen with the Ood when the base started to shake, Danny still on the overhead balcony as they were thrown about violently, struggling to regain their balance.

"Emergency hull breach," the computer announced, "Emergency hull breach."

"Which section?" Danny called into his comm., frightened.

S.S

Zach picked himself off the floor in the control room, speaking into his communication device, "Everyone…evacuate 11 to 13, we've got a breach! The base is open. Repeat: the base is OPEN."

S.S

Jefferson and two other crew members hurried along a corridor, shielding themselves from the sparks flying from the wall and the smoke filtering through the floor.

S.S

"Open Door 19," the computer said.

The Doctor, Rose, and Laila burst back into the canteen area, Danny hot on their tail.

"Close Door 19."

S.S

"I can't contain the oxygen field," Zach warned them, "We're gonna lose it!"

S.S

"Come on!" Jefferson shouted, trying to open one of the doors, "Keep moving!" the Doctor, Rose, Laila, and Danny met up with them coming from one direction while Ida and the other crew members emerged from another, "And you too, Toby!" he pulled Toby, whose face and eyes were back to normal, along into the next room, the man falling on his face through the door as the door was slammed shut.

"Breach sealed," the computer stated, "Breach sealed."

"Everyone all right?!" the Doctor asked, dashing over to the others, "What happened? What was it?"

Laila shivered a little and looked around, the buzz filling her her again, only it was a little stronger than before. She closed her eyes, trying to push down the feeling. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she opened them to see the Doctor standing there, his brow furrowed in concern, "You ok?" he asked.

She nodded a bit absentmindedly before she sighed internally, feeling the buzz settle down again.

"Oxygen levels normal," the computer said.

"Hull breach!" Jefferson panted, "We were open to the elements. A couple of minutes and we'd have been inspecting that black hole at close quarters."

Rose crouched down to help Toby, who was still sweating and panting on the floor.

"That wasn't a quake," the Doctor noted aloud, his hand lowering to wrap around Laila's, "What caused it?"

S.S

"We've lost sections 11 to 13," Zach said, looking at the diagram of the base on his monitor, "Everyone all right?"

"We've got everyone here except Scooti," he heard Jefferson say over his comm., "Scooti report," there was no response, "Scooti Manista? That's an order. Report."

Again, nothing.

"She's all right," Zach called into his comm., "I picked up her bio chip, she's in Habitation 3," his eyes wandered over a hologram showing a red dot, indicating where Scooti was, "Better go and check if she's not responding, she might be unconscious."

S.S

Toby looked over his hands, turning them over as if expecting something, but they were clean.

"How about that, eh?" Zach said over the comm., "We survived."

"Habitation 3…" Jefferson nodded, "Come on, I don't often say this, but I think we could all do with a drink. Come on," he headed out and everyone but Toby, the Doctor, Laila, and Rose followed him. The Doctor and Laila crouched down to Toby, who looked severely shaken.

"What happened?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't…." Toby shook his head, speaking fast as he was nervous, "I dunno, I…I was working and then I can't remember. All…all that noise, the room was falling apart, there was no air…"

"Come on," Rose said, helping him up, "Up you get. Come and have some Protein One," she linked her arm through his, started to walk with him down the hall.

"Oh, you've gone native," the Doctor joked.

"Oi," she shot him a mock-warning look, "Don't knock it. It's nice. Protein One with just a," she clicked her fingers, "dash of Three."

S.S

The canteen area was slightly chaotic as everyone looked around for Scooti, talking over each other, "I've check Habitation 4…" Ida said.

"There's no sign of her," Jefferson informed, "The bio chip says she's in the area," Rose and Toby came through the door followed by the Doctor and Laila and the duo turned to look at them, "Have you seen Scooti?"

"No, no, no," Toby shook his head, "I don't think so."

"Scooti, please respond," Ida called into her comm., "If you can hear this please respo…Habitation 6."

"Nowhere here," Jefferson said before speaking into his comm., "Zach? We've got a problem. Scooti's still missing."

"It says Habitation 3."

"Yeah, well that's where I am," he said, "And I'm telling you she's NOT HERE."

The Doctor gazed upwards, through the overhead window and Laila followed his gaze, her eyes widening in shock, "I've found her," he said.

The others looked upwards as well, following their gaze and Rose's hand flew over her mouth, "Oh, my God…" she breathed.

Scooti's body was floating eerily just outside the window, "Sorry," the Doctor said, "I'm so sorry," Laila glanced at him and then back at Scooti, a solemn feeling taking over her.

The rest of them could only stare, horrified, "Captain…" Jefferson called into his comm. quietly, "report Officer Scootori Manista PKD….deceased. 43K2.1."

S.S

Zach blinked, a little stunned at the news.

S.S

"She was twenty…." Ida said sadly, "…twenty years old."

She walked over to the controls and the Doctor stared up at Scooti's body, grave and silent. Ida pulled the lever to close the shutters, their last glimpse of Scooti being as she floated further and further from them and towards the black hole.

"For how should Man die better than facing fearful odds?" Jefferson asked, "For the ashes of his father….and the temples of his Gods," his voice dropped to a whisper as the shutters closed completely, leaving the room noticeably darker and gloomier then before. A sorrowful silence fell over as well, but a silence all the same.

"It's stopped…" Ida said, listening as a crash sounded in the distance.

"What was that?" Rose asked, standing by the Doctor, "What was it?"

"The drill," the Doctor realized.

"We've stopped drilling," Ida nodded, 'We've made it. Point Zero."

S.S

The crew was running about the base, preparing to go down the mineshaft, "Capsule established," Ida said, 'All systems functioning….the mineshaft is go….bring systems online now."

The Doctor approached Zach, already garbed in a spacesuit, and the Captain stared at the man, "Reporting as a volunteer for the expeditionary force," the Doctor said.

"Doctor, this is breaking every single protocol," Zach told him, "We don't even know who you are."

"Yeah," he grinned, "But you trust me, don't you? And you can't let Ida go down there on her own. Go on…look me in the eye….yes you do, I can see it."

He shook his head, "I should be going down."

"The Captain doesn't lead the mission," he corrected, "He stays here. In charge."

Zach laughed bitterly, "Not much good at it, am I?"

The Doctor didn't answer, but simply looked at him, and he sighed, "Positions! We're going down in two. Everyone, positions!" he commanded.

Rose caught the Doctor's eyes and they walked over to each other…

"Mr. Jefferson!" Zach called, "I want maximum systems…." his voice faded into the distance as he walked away.

Rose and the Doctor stood facing each other as the Time Lord checked a device on the wrist of the spacesuit, "Oxygen…nitro-balance…gravity," he chuckled, "It's ages since I worse one of these!"

"I want that spacesuit back in one piece, you got that?" Rose pointed at him warningly, serious.

"Yes, sir," he nodded, putting on his helmet.

"It's funny, 'cos people back home thing that space travel's gonna be all whizzing about and teleports and anti-gravity…but it's not, is it?" her voice cracked slightly, "It's tough."

"I'll see you later," he smiled with confidence.

"Not if I see you first," she laughed softly before pulling his head down so she could place a kiss on his helmet, then turned, not wanting to see his uncomfortable expression. She narrowed her eyes a bit as Laila walked up to him, and stared at him for a second, and vice versa. She noted how his eyes seemed to waver as he gazed at her, his expression turning from blank to sorrowful. She felt a ping in her heart, adding something else to her list of reason why she didn't particularly like the Time Lady.

Laila managed a small smile, despite Rose watching her, before she wrapped her arms around the Doctor in a hug, feeling his own arms wrap around her, pulling her into a tighter hug, as if he didn't want to let go…almost…

"You be careful, ok?" she said quietly enough for him to hear, "Don't wanna have to drag you out of there…"

The Doctor chuckled and a warmth, from holding her as close as he was, but also a sadness, from what he was about to do, crashed over him, "Yeah…" he nodded, then let her go, watching as she stepped back, a small smile still on her face.

He stared at her for a moment longer, even when she turned her back to them, and Rose watched as his eyes softened considerable and she gasped a little, seeing the emotion peeking out behind it. She turned her own head, not able to watch any longer…

S.S

"You will remain here," Danny addressed the Ood in the Ood Habitation, "No command can override this. Have you got that? My instructions ONLY."

S.S

Zach pressed a few buttons on the on the capsule control panel in the control room, "Capsule activate," he announced over the speaker, "Counting down in 10….9…."

S.S

"8….7….6…." his voice boomed over the speaker as the Doctor and Ida walked into the capsule, Jefferson closing the door behind them, "5….4….3…2…" and he saluted them, "1…"

Rose smiled and waved, the Doctor returning the gesture and smile. His focus jumped to Laila and his eyes met hers and she smiled at him, not one of the small ones, but a real smile and he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as a result.

"Release," Zach commanded and the capsule began to descend into the shaft. Toby, who was sitting hunched over in a corner, began to twitch, checking his hands ever few seconds. Laila watched him out of the corner of her eye, a curious yet concerned look on her face before she turned to see a diagram of the capsule on the computer screen.

S.S

The Doctor and Ida stood inside the capsule, which was shaking as it travelled downward. Ida observed the Doctor as he just stared up at the ceiling, his expression even more solemn then before.

S.S

Zach monitored the capsule's position on the hologram appearing on the control panel, the stats reading 'DANGER' underneath the 'oxygen' label, "Gone beyond the oxygen field," he informed them, "You're on your own."

S.S

The Doctor and Ida both switched on their oxygen tanks.

S.S

"Don't forget to breath," Rose reminded the Doctor, speaking into the comm., clearly worried out of her mind, "Breathing's good," she demonstrated by taking a couple of deep breaths.

"Rose, stay off the comm.," Zach said over his own device.

"Fat chance," she countered.

S.S

Suddenly the capsule began to shake violently, a little too forcefully, and the Doctor and Ida were thrown off their feet. They hung onto the sides of the capsule to steady themselves.

S.S

The group looked on as the computer screen indicated that the capsule had reached the bottom of the shaft, then the base started to shake just like in the shaft, "Doctor?" Rose called into the comm., but received no reply, "Doctor, are you all right?"

S.S

"Ida, report to me…." Zach said into his comm., hearing the same silence, "Doctor?"

S.S

"It's all right…" the Doctor said into the comm. given to them as they walked out of the capsule, "…we've made it…coming out of the capsule now."

S.S

Rose breathed a sigh of relief and Laila smiled a little hearing his voice, feeling relieved as well, then she frowned, a thought coming to her mind. She didn't like the idea of him getting hurt, or something worse, as much as he seemed to dislike the idea of the same happening to her….interesting.

S.S

The Doctor and Ida slowly stepped out into the darkness, flashing their torches around, "What's it like down there?" Rose asked.

"It's hard to tell…." the Doctor responded, narrowing his eyes to see, "Some sort of…cave…cavern…it's massive."

"Well, this should help," Ida said, pulling out a white orb-like device, "Gravity globe," she tossed it up into the air and the entire cavern exploded with light, revealing the ancient architecture of the area, and giving them an idea of how enormous the place was, "That's….that's….my God, that's beautiful."

The Doctor looked around, amazed as well, "Rose…you can tell Toby….we've found his civilization," he said.

S.S

"Oi, Toby…" Rose turned to look at him, cheerful, "Sounds like you've got plenty of work."

Toby didn't look at her, not appearing to be interested in the information, "Good, good, good," he nodded distractedly.

"Concentrate now, people," Zach interrupted, "Keep on the mission. Ida…what about the power source?"

S.S

The Doctor and Ida traipsed alongside a rocky wall, Ida holding out a flashlight in front of them, "We're close," she said, "Energy signature indicated north, northwest. Are you getting pictures up there?"

"There's too much interference," Zach said, "We're in your hands."

"Well…we've come this far," she shrugged, glancing at the Doctor, "There's no turning back."

"Oh, did you have to?" the Doctor asked, "No turning back? That's almost as bad as "nothing can possibly go wrong" or "this is gonna be the best Christmas Walford's ever had"."

"Are you finished?" she blinked, bemused.

He stared at her for a moment, "Yeah!" he nodded, "Finished," he turned and walked off and she watched him, slightly amused now.

S.S

Danny eyed the Ood as one of them blinked at him, "Captain, sir," he said into his comm., "There's something happening with the Ood."

"What are they doing?" Zach asked.

"They're staring at me," he told him, keeping his voice low, "I've told them to stop, but they won't," he glanced at them nervously.

"Danny, you're a big boy. I think you can take being STARED at."

"But the telepathic field, sir," Danny frowned, "It's at Basic 100! I've checked…there isn't any fault. It's definitely 100."

"But that's impossible…"

S.S

Rose, Jefferson, and Laila listened curiously to the conversation, "What's Basic 100 mean?" Rose asked.

"They should be dead…" Laila told her, her brow furrowing in thought, feeling the buzz return once more, a little stronger than the last. She honestly didn't know how long she could keep it down. Whatever was going on around here, it was bad enough to bring _that_ out. She had managed to keep it down for most of her life, now all of sudden it wanted to show up again, what were the chances of that?

"She's right," she heard Danny say over the comm.

"Basic 100's brain death," Jefferson added.

"But they're safe?" Zach questioned, "They're not actually moving?"

"No, sir," Danny confirmed.

"Keep watching them," he ordered, "And you Jefferson, keep a guard on the Ood."

Jefferson nodded, despite him not being in the room, and faced a crew member, "Officer at arms!" he demanded, readying his gun.

"Yes, sir," the crew member nodded, obeying.

Laila eyed the guns warily and turned her head, not wanting to watch them, "You can't fire a gun in here," Rose said, "What if they hit a wall?"

"I'm firing stock 15," Jefferson assured her, "Only packs upon organics," he turned to a security guard, "Guard them."

"Yes, sir," the guard nodded.

S.S

"Is everything all right up there?" the Doctor asked worriedly, having not heard anything on their end in a while.

"Yeah, yeah," Rose responded quickly.

"It's FINE," Zach backed her up.

"Great!" Danny said sarcastically.

The Doctor frowned, "Rose," he started, "Give the comm. to Laila."

S.S

Rose frowned at the request and narrowed her eyes, but handed the device to the Time Lady, with a little force added as she slapped it in her palm. Laila frowned at the action and held the comm. up to her lips, "Yes?" she asked.

"Is everything ok?" he asked and she was quiet for a moment, not sure how to answer that question.

"A-Okay," is what she settled on, because it wasn't a total lie at least.

There was silence on the other end, "Alright," he eventually said, "Just…be careful, ok?

"I'm not the one wandering in an unknown, never-before-seen, cavern," she countered.

S.S

The Doctor sighed internally at her response, knowing she was purposefully avoiding answering with a 'yes' or a 'no' just like always, "Touché," he said instead of what he wanted to. Ida studied his slightly hurt expression and put two and two together, then faced forwards, only to stop in her tracks a second later, the Doctor stopping as well, "We've found something," his eyes scanned over the large circular, trapdoor-like, door, "It looks like metal. I've got a nasty feeling the word might be 'trapdoor'. Not a good word, 'trapdoor'. Never met a trapdoor I liked."

Ida shined a torch along the edge of the door, "The edge is covered with those symbols," she added.

"Do you think it opens?" Zach asked.

"That's what trapdoors tend to do," the Doctor said.

"'Trapdoor' doesn't' do it justice," Ida shook her head, walking around it, "It's massive, Zach. About thirty feet in diameter."

"Any way of opening it?"

"I don't know," she frowned, looking around, "I can't see any sort of mechanism."

"I suppose that's the writing," the Doctor said, "That'll tell us what to do. The letters that defy translation."

S.S

"Toby, did you get anywhere with decoding it?" the group on the surface heard Zach question.

"Toby," Rose looked over at him, "They need to know…that lettering, does it make any sort of sense?"

"I know what it says," Toby said, his head in his arms, still crouched in the corner.

"Then tell them," she said.

"When did you work that out?" Jefferson wondered.

"It doesn't matter, just tell them," Rose cut in as Toby stood. He turned to face them, the ancient symbols once again staining his body, his eyes red again. Laila gaped at him and winced, pushing down the buzz again as it skyrocketed. So it seemed that whatever was brining it out was whatever was in Toby, because he was clearly possessed.

"These are the words of the Beast," Toby spoke, his voice not his own, and Rose stared at him in shock, "And he has woken," Jefferson pointed his gun at him, "He is the heart that beats in the darkness, he is the blood that will never cease. And now he will rise."

"Officer, stand down," Jefferson ordered, "STAND DOWN."

S.S

"What is it?" the Doctor asked urgently, "What's he done? What's happening? Rose?" no reply, "Laila?" once again no reply and his hearts clenched, a terrible feeling taking over him, "What's going on?!"

He took a quick breath, feeling himself starting to panic….

S.S

"Jefferson?" Zach called on his comm., but only static came through. He hit a couple of buttons frantically, "Report. Report!"

S.S

Toby flexed his arms casually, "Officer, as commander of security, I order you to stand down and be confined," Jefferson's voice boomed, still holding up the gun, "Immediately!"

"He's come out in those symbols all over his face," Rose said into the comm., "They're all over them."

Toby considered them for a moment then his eyes landed on Laila and he seemed to sneer at her, growling almost as she watched him, "Mr. Jefferson," he focused his attention on the man, "Tell me, sir…" he smirked, "Did your wife ever forgive you?"

Jefferson stared at him, stunned, "I don't know what you mean."

"Let me tell you a secret…" his smirk widened, "She never did."

"Officer…" he swallowed, "You stand down and be confined."

"Or what?" Toby questioned, clearly amused at the prospect of the threat.

"Or under the jurisdiction of Condition Red, I am authorized to shoot you," Jefferson stated, aiming his gun directly at him.

Toby only stood there, clearly not frightened, "But how many can you kill?" he asked and they stared in horror as his eyes lit up and his mouth opened in a low roar, the symbols on his skin leaving him and evaporating in the form of a black smoke. The smoke then travelled over to the three Ood in the room, who jerked as they were possessed. Toby, free, coughed then collapsed to the ground. Jefferson turned his gun at the three Ood on the deck as they stared at them.

S.S

The Ood in Habitation were also possessed, "We are the Legion of the Beast," they said together, in one accord.

S.S

"Rose? What is it?" the Doctor tried again, "Laila?" Ida watched his expression fall, "…please…I promised…" he could feel the agony, not a painful kind, but a sad one eating him up inside, "I promised…" he faced Ida, "I'm going back up," he turned and walked off….

S.S

The Ood held their communication orbs out in front of them, "Th Legion shall be many," they all said, "And the Legion shall be few…"

S.S

"It's the Ood," Rose said into the comm.

"Sir, we have a contamination in the livestock," Jefferson reported into his wrist device.

"Doctor, I don't what it is…it's…it's like they're possessed."

"They won't listen to us."

Laila watched the Ood as they drew closer to them and despite Rose probably wanting him up there with them, because he could help them, she'd rather him down there, safe.

S.S

"He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time," one of the Ood addressed Danny, separating itself from the pen and towards him, "Some may call Abaddon. Some may call him Kroptor. Some may call him Satan…" Danny turned to the computer, frantically pressing at the keys. The other crew member sent to him held his gun up, ready, "Or Lucifer…"

"Captain, it's the Ood," Danny reported, "They're out of control!"

"Or the Bringer of Despair…"

He and the crew member backed away as the Ood grew closer, "The Deathless Prince," it continued, "The Bringer of Night," it stopped a few feet away from them, then shot it's orb out, attaching it to the crew member's forehead, electrocuting him. He fell to the floor, dead and Danny took that as an initiative to run, "These are the words that shall set him free."

S.S

Jefferson, Rose, Laila, and the other crew member backed away from the Ood advancing, "Back up the door!" Jefferson shouted at the others and they followed his command.

"I shall become manifest," the Ood said.

"Move quickly!"

"I shall walk in might."

"To the door!"

They backed up until their backs were against the door, "Get it open!" Jefferson ordered and they frantically tried to turn the wheel as fast as they could, keeping an eye on the Ood as well.

"My Legions shall swarm across the worlds…" the Ood continued.

S.S

Ida pointed her flashlight in the direction of the trapdoor as the ground began to shake, the door opening, "Doctor!" she called, "It's opening!"

S.S

Zach grabbed onto the console as the entire base shook again, "We're moving!" he shouted, "The whole thing's moving! The planet's moving!" he looked upwards as the overhead shutters opened, a frightened look on his face.

S.S

The commotion caused a disruption in the architect of the cavern, causing rocks to shower down on the Doctor and Ida. The Doctor paused and swallowed, looking back at Ida, his expression torn. He wanted to get back to the surface, to help, but then again he couldn't leave her down here. Laila, he promised he'd protect her, and what was he doing? Standing in a cavern while she was up overhead, and he hadn't a clue what was going on, if she was hurt or not….

A part of him said that he should go up there, and another part said that if he did, she wouldn't be so happy he left Ida in the cavern….she'd be disappointed in him…something that was way worse than anger by far, because anger could easily turn into happiness, but disappointment…it was hard to wipe that away…

He shut his eyes close for a moment before he stumbled back over to Ida, falling over as the ground shook. Ida whimpered, frozen in her spot, terrified.

S.S

The Ood still advanced despite the shaking towards the group, "I am the sin and the temptation," they said, "And the desire. I am the pain and the loss and the dead will come."

"Get that door open!" Jefferson yelled again.

S.S

"The gravity field…." Zach breathed, horrified, "It's going! We're losing orbit!" he stared at the diagram indicating the planet as it moved around bizarrely, "We're gonna fall into the black hole!"

S.S

Rose, Laila, and the other crew member desperately tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Jefferson continued to aim his gun at the Ood, but they ignored it completely, "I have been imprisoned for eternity," the Ood went on, "But no more."

Laila froze at that and twisted her head around to stare at the Ood in shock, realization dawning on her. Oh, so _that's_ why she'd been buzzing so much, why _it_ wanted to get out so much, it made so, so, much sense…but this was worse than she expected, _way_ worse…

"Door sealed," the computer informed them.

"Come on!" Rose shouted.

"Door sealed."

S.S

Billows of smoke rose from the trapdoor, the pit, the ground still shaking violently, "The Pit is open," the voice of the Beast spoke, "And I am free," it laughed and the Doctor and Ida stared down into the darkness, horror struck.

S.S

Hm, it seems we have a different Doctor here when Laila's not around him, different than in Rise of the Cybermen. This reaction, this reaction, oh (laughs) this reaction is not even the top reaction, just wait until after this season, oh the things that'll happen (laughs more).

I know Rose hasn't done much to actually prove to the Doctor that Laila's not who he think she is, trying to prove how "not innocent" she really is. This Rose, before she experiences that tragic (rolls eyes) separation from the Doctor, is more emotional than the other Rose, who is by far worse in comparison to this one…because she'll _actually_ do something as a result of her jealousy towards Laila. I bet you all hate this, me telling you things that won't happen for another season and one-half, but that's what I love about being an author! It's sooo much fun ;)

Oh…what was that emotion in the Doctor's eyes? Could be fondness…could've been love, given by Rose's reaction…could've been a caring gaze, who knows? Well, I do, but…

Man….we're almost done with this story, only three more episodes + an original chapter to go. In the words (sort of) of Rory the Roman: I promised myself I wouldn't cry…

Four more reviews!

Mionerocks: You'll be getting your wish sooner than you think ;)

Lewtam: Have you reviewed for this story before? I'm not sure, but if you haven't, welcome! Yes, he is close to realization! Or has he realized how he feels already, hm? Questions are difficult, aren't they? I'm sure that none of us want Laila to go, but obviously something is going to happen, I did say there were plans for Season 4 and it would seem silly for me to end it here, wouldn't it? Unless I created some back-up plan for the next story where she returns, ah, so many questions, so many possibilities….Rose annoys most of us, those who can see past her act for who she really is. Nope, she won't get over that, it might lessen, but she will always dislike her, sorry…well, the next episode is where the BIG reveal will occur, so hold onto your pants, or skirt, whatever and prepare for this shocker. I think it'll shock you all not because of what it is, but because of the history behind it, and how not-so-bad it is…

Veyrona: It'll be happening in the next episode! Prepare for a conversation between the three of them!

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: -gasp- I know right? It's about time…I laughed at the rest of your comment, but no, we can't kill Rose, she has to stay unfortunately. You see, Rose is a child basically, when she can't get what she wants she throws a tantrum and she's stubborn, so she'll find fault with everything. She can't see that the Doctor obviously is leaning towards Laila because he wants to, and we'll find out why that is soon, so she blames it on Laila, who believes that she has nothing to be jealous of, the poor soul.


	22. The Satan Pit: The Beast's Word

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Satin Pit

Chapter 22: The Beast's Word

* * *

The Ood advanced towards Jefferson, Rose, Laila, and the other crew member, "Open fire!" Jefferson shouted and he and the guard began firing rounds at the Ood whilst Rose cowered and Laila shivered slightly, closing her eyes in an attempt to block out the sounds.

S.S

The shaking lessened slightly and Zach slowly stood to his feet, "We're stabilizing…" he said and the overhead shutters closed, "We've got orbit."

S.S

Rose stepped over the dead bodies of the Ood and grabbed the comm. from Laila, who only stared at her with a blank look at the action, "Doctor?" she called into the device, her stomach dropping when all she received was static, "Doctor, can you hear me? Doctor? Ida? Are you there?"

Laila watched her in silence as she worried over the safety of the Doctor, somewhere knowing she probably could care less for Ida, the Doctor being her first priority. Hopefully that wasn't that case, because she wanted them both to be okay. They didn't need any more deaths after what happened to Scooti.

"Open Door 25."

They turned their heads, Jefferson and the guard raising their guns, armed and ready for whatever was behind the door. Danny stepped through and raised his hands in the air, halting seeing the weapons, "It's me!" he told them and they lowered them to their sides, "But they're coming."

"Close Door 25."

"It's the Ood," he continued, "They've gone mad."

"How many of them?" Jefferson asked.

"All of them!" he cried, "All fifty!"

Nodding, he approached the door, "Danny, out of the way," he told him, but Danny didn't budge, staring at him with a hesitant eye, "Out of the way!" he pushed him to the side, prepared to head out.

"But they're armed!" Danny argued, trying to stop him, "They're da…" Jefferson turned the wheel on the door, beginning to open it, "It's the interface device. I don't know how, but they're using it as a weapon."

"Open Door 25," the computer said.

The door opened to reveal the Ood standing on the other side. One of them immediately advanced, sticking the communication orb to the guard's forehead, too quickly for anyone to stop it. She screamed and slumped to the floor, dead. Laila stared solemnly at the body as Jefferson opened fire on the Ood.

S.S

Zach ran out of the control room, closing the door behind him.

"Close Door 1."

He started to run down the corridor, but skidded to a halt as he caught sight of the Ood coming down his way at the other end of the passage, and he ran back into the control room.

"Open Door 1."

He closed the door behind him, taking a breath.

"Close Door 1."

He turned around and pressed a couple of buttons on a control panel mounted on the wall, "Lockdown," he said into the panel, "Seal Door 1."

"Lockdown Door 1," the computer confirmed. Zach walked back over to the controls in the center of the room, a babble of frantic voices emitting from his comm. and he breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of silence.

He picked it up, "Jefferson," he called, "What's happening there?"

"I've got very little ammunition, sir," Jefferson responded, "How about you?"

He looked around the room, moving over to a cupboard and opened it, pulling a gun from out of it, "All I've got is a bolt gun," he told him, "With uh…" he examined the gun, "All of one bolt. I could take out a grand total of one Ood," he rolled his eyes, "Fat lot of good that is."

"Given the emergency…" Jefferson started, "I recommend Strategy Nine."

Zach let out another sigh at the suggestion. They had gotten so far, so far, and for what? Just to turn around and leave, but Jefferson was right, there was nothing they could do but go, either that or die…

"Strategy Nine agreed," he eventually said, "Right, we need to get everyone together. Rose? What about Ida and the Doctor? Any word?"

S.S

Rose shook her head slightly, despite him not being able to see the gesture, "I can't get any reply, just…" her voice shook slightly, "NOTHING, I keep trying, but it's…"

Just then, the communication device crackled and the Doctor's voice broke through, "No!" he spoke, "Sorry, I'm fine. Still here!"

Laila couldn't help the relief that washed over at the moment and she realized just how worried she really was about the whole situation, which made the other predicament even harder than she previously thought.

"You could've said," Rose said, smiling, so relieved to hear his voice, "You stupid b…"

S.S

The communication device screeched loudly, blocking out the rest of what she was going to say and the Doctor winced, "WHOA!" he laughed a bit, "Careful! Anyway, it's both of us, me and Ida," he swallowed, "Is…Is everyone okay?" it wasn't _exactly_ the question he wanted to ask, but it really was a matter of manners.

There was silence on the other end for a moment and he felt his hearts speed up a bit, anxiously waiting for someone to say something, "We're all fine, Doctor," Laila's voice came over the other end. Ida from her spot near the trapdoor, watched as his face lit up at the message, but she was no fool, she knew it was more than just the message.

"Oh," he said, and he had to admit he was hardly able to contain the relief he felt at hearing her voice, "Good, good," _really_ good, "Hello!"

"Hi," Laila responded and he could almost hear the amusement in her voice and his smile widened.

"The seal opened up," he carried on, "It's gone. All we've got left is this chasm," he glanced at where the mechanism previously was, now replaced with a large gaping hole.

"How deep is it?" Zach's voice came through the comm.

"Can't tell," he frowned, peering over it, "It looks like it goes on forever."

""The Pit is open,"" Rose said clearly, making him aware that she had the comm. again, "That's what the voice said."

"But there's nothing?" Zach asked, "I mean…There's NOTHING coming out?"

"No, no," the Doctor answered, "No sign of 'the Beast'."

S.S

Rose let out a breath, "It said 'Satan'," she said.

"Come on, Rose," the Doctor said, "Keep it together."

"Is there no such thing?" she asked and received no reply, "Doctor?" still no answer, "Doctor, tell me there's no such thing," she looked at Laila, despite not wanting _her_ to answer, and too received nothing, the woman looking off in another direction, her back facing the rest of them.

S.S

"Ida?" Zach spoke into his comm., "I recommend that you withdraw. Immediately."

"But….we've come all this way!" Ida argued.

"Okay," he rubbed the space between his eyes, "That was an order. WITH-DRAW. With that thing open, the whole planet's shifted. One more inch and we fall into the black hole. So this thing stops right now."

He understood where she was coming from, really he did. He didn't want to stop the expedition either, given how much they sacrificed to be here in the first place, but he couldn't carry on while his crew were in danger, it was his job as Captain to be the leader, so that's what he was doing.

"But it's not much better up there with the Ood," Ida remarked.

"I'm initiating Strategy Nine, so I need the two of you back up top immediately, no ar…" the comm. crackled, signaling that they could no longer hear him, "Ida? IDA?" he groaned. Why was she so stubborn?

S.S

Ida looked at the Doctor, "What do you think?" she asked.

"I think they've an order," the Doctor spoke.

"Yeah," she nodded, "But….what do YOU think?" she stared at him, waiting for him to answer. He stared at her, oddly quiet for a minute before he turned to face the pit, placing one foot on the edge of it, peering down into the darkness.

"You don't want to know what I'm _really_ thinking right now," he simply said and she raised her eyebrow at the statement, "And I don't mean that as a threat, no, I mean it's complicated," he frowned, "So you don't want to know," he swallowed, "Moving on, it said 'I am the temptation"."

"If…" she thought for a moment, "If there's something in there…why's it still hiding?"

"Maybe….we opened the prison but not the cell," he figured.

"We should go down," she suggested, "I'd go. What about you?"

"Oh! Oh, in a second, but then again…" he gave her a half-laugh, turning to face her, "That is so human. Where angels fear to tread," she frowned, confused, "Even now, standing on the edge. It's that feeling you get. Yeah?" he looked into the pit, musing for a second, "Right at the back of your head. That impulse…that mad little voice saying "go on…go on…go on….go over, go on…" maybe it's relying on that," he smiled a bit, "For once in my life….Officer Scott…I'm going to say…." he held her gaze for a moment, "Retreat," he sighed and pulled his foot back from the edge, "Now I know I'm getting hold," he grabbed the comm. from Ida's hand, turning it back on, "Laila, Rose, we're coming back."

"Best news I've heard all day!" Rose said immediately then there was another moment of silence.

"Are you sure you want to do that, Doctor?" Laila questioned and his frown deepened, his brow furrowing at the question, "I…I mean you seemed so keen on going down…"

"No," he said after a brief pause, "I don't want to," he dropped his voice to a whisper and Ida could clearly see the truth in his eyes, "I _need_ to."

And she briefly wondered if that was what he really meant.

S.S

Laila paused for a second, holding the comm. up, the other oblivious to what the Doctor had just said, "Oh," she blinked, "Well, okay then…" then frowned, curious, "Be safe coming back up then."

"Will do," he replied and she handed the device back to Rose, contemplating what had just occurred. That was a little strange, for a moment it was like that was for _her_, not so much for everyone else….but that made no sense. Rose was his companion, and everyone else did matter, so he must have meant that he needed to come back up to help everyone…yeah.

Then again, she couldn't help how her hearts seemed to skip a beat at the idea that he didn't want to come up here, if for her, but needed to for her…even if it wasn't the case.

"What're you doing?" Rose asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Jefferson pointing his gun down at Toby, who was conscious.

"He's infected," Jefferson explained, "He brought that thing on board. You saw it."

Toby's eyes widened in shock and Laila could see him shivering in fright.

"Are you gonna start shooting you own people, now?" Rose asked, approaching him, "Is that what you're gonna do? Is it?"

"If necessary."

"Well then," she moved over towards Toby, "You'll have to shoot me 'if necessary', so what's it gonna be?" she kneeled next to him and looked at Jefferson, waiting his decision. Laila examined the scene before her, a smile on her face, "Look at his face. Whatever it was, it's gone. It passed into the Ood. You saw it happen. He's clean."

Jefferson glanced between the two, considering it, "Any sign of trouble…" he eventually said, "I'll shoot him," he turned and moved away and Toby sighed in relief.

Rose looked at him, "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah…I…" he shook his head, trembling, "Dunno."

"Can you remember anything?"

"Just…it was so angry," he said, "It was….fury and rage…death…" his eyes swept the room, catching Laila's eye for a second, "…fright, such a terrible fright too…but angry…" Rose followed his gaze and frowned seeing where they'd landed, "It was him. It was the devil."

"Come here," she pulled him into a comforting hug and he clung to her, his eyes still wide open with horror over her shoulder.

She knew she was right to suspect the Time Lady. If the 'devil' or 'Satan' was afraid of her, then that must mean that she was dangerous, to her, to the others, and to the Doctor. Now, all she had to do was pull out the secret and wipe her hands clean…but how?

S.S

The Doctor and Ida trudged back to the capsule, "What's Strategy Nine?" the Doctor asked.

"Open the airlocks," Ida explained, "We'll be safe inside the lockdown…the Ood will get thrown out into the vacuum."

He frowned at that, "So we're going back to slaughter?"

Ida turned to face him as they reached the capsule, "The devil's work."

S.S

Jefferson, Danny, Rose, and Laila stood on the deck, waiting for the Doctor and Ida to make contact with them, "Okay," Ida spoke into the comm., "We're in. Bring us up."

"Ascension in…" Jefferson began the countdown and Rose smiled with anticipation, "Three…two…one."

Suddenly the lights went out, cutting off the mechanism, and disabling the countdown. Laila peered around the area, the buzz returning more vigorous than before.

S.S

Zach frowned, looking around the room as the lights blinked out, "This is the Darkness," the voice of the Beast spoke, "This is my domain," the display on the computer screen changed to that of several Ood standing together, "You little things that live in the light…clinging to your feeble Suns…" he picked up his bolt gun, "…which die in the…"

"That's not the Ood," Zach spoke through the communication device, "Something's talking through them."

"Only the Darkness remains."

"This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane of Sanctuary Base Six representing the Torchwood archive," he stated, "You will identify yourself."

"You know my name," the Beast simply said.

"What do you want?"

"You will die here. All of you. This planet is your grave."

S.S

Toby's eyes were wide with terror, "It's him," he trembled, "It's him…It's him…"

Laila eyed him for a second before taking a quick look at her hand, a bluish symbol appearing on it, dimming down and flaring up. She clenched her fist and turned back to the others, a somewhat scared look on her face.

S.S

The Doctor looked around the capsule, hearing the voice as well, "If you are the Beast," he spoke, "Then answer me this: which one? Hmm? 'Cos the universe has been busy since you've gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. The Archivits…Pordonity, Christianity…Pash-Pash, New Judaism…Sanclar…Church of the Tin Vagabond…which devil are you?"

"All of them," the Beast answered.

"What," he frowned, "Then you're the truth behind the myth?"

"This one knows me…as I know him. The killer of his own kind."

"How did you end up on this rock?" he continued to question, ignoring the remark.

"The disciples of the Light rose against me," it explained, "And chained me in the pit for all eternity.

"When was this?"

"Before time."

"What does THAT mean?!" he questioned, his brow furrowing.

"Before time," it repeated, as if it were simple.

"What does 'before time' MEAN?"

The Beast chuckled in an amused manner, "I know of one who could explain, who _will_ explain, but I shall humor you for now," it said, "Before light and time and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created."

"That's impossible," the Doctor shook his head, not able to wrap his mind around it, "No life could have existed back then."

"Is that your religion?"

"It's a belief."

"You know nothing," it said, "All of you. So small."

S.S

"The Captain, so scared of command."

Zach blinked, stunned.

S.S

"The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife,"

Jefferson's eyes widened in shock.

"The scientist, still running from daddy…"

Down below Ida shifted uncomfortably in the capsule.

"The little boy who lied…"

Danny averted his eyes.

"The virgin…"

Toby turned around, perturbed.

"The lost girl, so far away from home. The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon," it chuckled, "So caught in your ignorance, you will lose your savior…."

Rose's eyes widened considerably, knowing it was talking about her.

"And the one who desires change, who screams on the inside but yet is so silent on the out," Laila looked down at that, "So lonely, so very, _very_, lonely…and so afraid to lose those few, especially one who you refuse…" it laughed, "You will not win."

"Doctor," Rose began, frightened, "What does it mean?"

"Rose, Laila," the Doctor said quietly on the comm., "Don't listen."

"What does it mean?"

"You will die…" the Beast told them, "…and I will live."

The footage of the Ood was cut and replaced with a roaring horned beast, which caused everyone but the Doctor and Laila to gasp and stumble back, "What the hell what that?" Danny asked, his voice shaking with fear.

Everyone began to speaking over one another, frantic, "I had that thing inside my head," Toby said.

"Doctor, what did it mean?" Rose asked.

"What do we do?" Danny looked around, turning to Jefferson, "Jefferson?"

"Captain?" Jefferson spoke into his wrist device, "What's the situation on Strategy Nine?"

"Zach, what do we do?" Danny asked.

"Captain, report," Jefferson said.

"We've lost pictures…" Zach trailed.

"Doctor," Rose interrupted, "How did it know all of…"

"Did anyone get…" Ida spoke.

"Jefferson?"

"Stop…" the Doctor tried to say.

Laila rubbed the spot between her eyes, turning away from the others, thinking about what the Beast said. The Doctor was wrong, and she _should_ listen to what it said, because what it said was true…all of it…despite how much she wanted to deny it.

A loud screech from behind her made her turn back around as all the babble settled down, silence falling over the room, "If you want voices in the dark, then listen to mine," the Doctor said, "That thing is playing on very basic fears. Darkness…childhood nightmares, all that stuff."

"But that's how the devil works," Danny countered.

"Or a good psychologist."

"But…how did it know about my father?" Ida questioned.

There was pause, "Okay, but what makes his version of the truth any better than mine? Hmm?" he asked, "Cos I'll tell you all what I can see: Humans. Brilliant humans. Humans who travel all the way across space. Flying in a tiny little rocket into the orbit of a black hole! Just for the sake of discovery, that's amazing! Do you hear me? Amazing. All of you. The Captain…his officer…his elder…his genius…his friends. The Beast is alone. We are not. If we can you use that to fight against him…"

A loud bang sounded over the comm., "The cable's snapped!" Ida shouted.

"Get out!" the Doctor said.

Dust wafted onto the deck as the cable reached the bottom, "Doctor!" Rose called into the comm., "We lost the cable! Doctor, are you all right?" there was no reply, "Doctor?"

"Comms. are down," Zach said over the speaker.

Rose shook her head, "Doctor?" she tried again, desperate, "Doctor, can you hear me?"

S.S

Zach looked at the monitor, "I've still got life signs, but…" he sighed, "We've lost the capsule."

"Say something…" Rose continued to try, "Are you there?"

"There's no way out," he told her wearily, "They're stuck down there."

S.S

Uh-oh, the Doctor and Ida are stuck down in the cavern….poor Rose…haha! Who am I kidding? Poor Laila because this is actually what's going to ignite the not-so-nice words from Rose in the next chapter, which may cause some of you to dislike her even more.

I bet you all are wondering what the Beast meant on Laila's part, especially about the one who she refuses, hmm, what does that mean exactly? So many possibilities…

Five reviews!

The Inquirer: I'm going to respond to your Chapter 20 review here, because I had uploaded this before I saw you had reviewed, sorry. (20) Oh, I could deny that he likes her, but it so obvious that it'd be a waste of time. Yep, more jealousy, that is if Laila doesn't leave. I love overprotective Doctor, because it's just so funny! What regeneration is she on? Uh, that'll be answered in the original chapter I mentioned that I would be writing after this episode. I'm ready for the other companions too, I've already got something planned for Martha, and Donna, but I haven't quite gotten to Amy and Rory yet…though I do know what I'm going to do with River, and trust me, it's not good. I don't think Laila's the type of person to get jealous, maybe a little worried, but not jealous and that is for one reason or another.

(21) We'll be finding out in this episode what the 'it' is that is bothering her. Well, we don't know how Laila feels about the Doctor. All we've seen is how the Doctor feels about her in a less than direct way, but it will be hard for her to leave, that's a given.

Mionerocks: Thank you!

Veyrona: Did you like this chapter?

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like-Lass: No, Rose doesn't try to kill Laila, hehe. You'll see that he's even devastated before it happens, if it happens that is….


	23. The Satan Pit: Escape

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Satan Pit

Chapter 23: Escape

* * *

The Doctor and Ida stood from where they'd landed, brushing the dust off of them, "How much air have we got?" the Doctor asked.

"Sixty minutes," Ida told him, checking her wrist device, "Fifty-five."

S.S

Rose, Jefferson, and Danny peered down the lift shaft, seeing nothing but a cold descent, "But we've GOT TO bring them back," Rose pleaded. She couldn't leave the Doctor down there, she just couldn't. He'd done so much for her, he was her…

"_So caught in your ignorance, you will lose your savior…"_

That's what the Beast said about her, but that couldn't be. She would _never_ lose the Doctor, no matter what happened, even if he technically wasn't hers, she wouldn't lose him. She'd see to it that it didn't happen.

"They're ten miles down," Jefferson countered, shaking her out of her reverie, "We haven't got another ten miles of cable," a loud bang on the door made the group jump and he lifted his wrist device, "Captain? Situation report?"

S.S

Zach glanced up, hearing the loud knocking on his side as well. He slowly stood and moved over to it, opening the small round window. One of the Ood stared back at him, revealing what looked like an enormous pair of pliers in its hands. He sighed, "It's the Ood," he responded, "They're cutting through the door bolts. They're breaking in."

S.S

"Yeah, it's the same on Door 25," Jefferson reported, looking at the door warily.

"How long's it gonna take?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's only a basic frame, it should take ten minutes," another bang, "Eight."

Laila furrowed her brow, staring at the door, shifting in her spot, her arms wrapped around her middle. It was getting harder and harder to keep it in. That kind of power wasn't supposed to be held in, unheard of even. She winced and bit her lip.

"I've got a security frame," Zach told them, "It might last a bit longer, but that doesn't help you."

"Right," Rose nodded, "So we need to stop them…or get out…or both."

"I'll take both, yeah?" Danny suggested, "But how?"

She looked at him, "You heard the Doctor," she said, "Why do you think that thing cut him off? 'Cos he was making sense. He was telling you to think your way out of this. Come on!" she thought for a moment, "For a start, we need some lights. There's gotta be some sort of power somewhere."

"There's nothing I can do," Zach spoke up bitterly, "Some captain, stuck in here, pressing buttons."

"That's what the Doctor MEANT," Rose argued, "Press the right buttons."

There was silence on the other end for a second, "They've gutted the generators…" he realized, "But the rocket's got an independent supply. If I could reroute that…Mr. Jefferson? Open the bypass conduits. Override the safety…"

Jefferson stood by the computer, pressing the appropriate buttons, "Opening the bypass conduits, sir," he said.

"Channeling rocket feed. In 3…2…1….power."

The lights flickered on and Rose clapped proudly, "There we go," she cheered and couldn't help but smirk a little. See, she was useful? What was Laila doing, just standing there, watching them _actually_ get something done. Like she said….useless…

"Let there be light!" Danny grinned.

"What about that Strategy Nine thing?" she asked, looking at Jefferson.

"Not enough power," Jefferson answered, "It needs a hundred percent."

"All right, we need a way out," she said, "Zach, Mr. Jefferson, you start working on that," she nodded at them and walked over to Toby, "Toby, what about you?"

He stood, "I'm not a soldier," he said, "I can't do anything."

"No, you're the archaeologist," she smiled, "What do you know about the pit?"

"Well, n-n-nothing," he stuttered, "We can't even translate the language."

She nodded, "Right," then she turned to walk away.

"H-hold on," he called, stopping her in her tracks, "Maybe…"

"What is it?" she asked.

"Since that thing was inside my head, it's like the letters made more sense," he said.

"Well…get to work," she ordered lightly, "Anything you can translate, just…anything," she moved to Danny next, "As for you, Danny-boy…you're in charge of the Ood…any way of stopping them?"

"Well…" he thought for a moment, "I don't know."

She pulled him over to the computer, "Then find out. The sooner we get control of the base, the sooner we can get the Doctor out. Shift," she smacked him playfully and then looked down at the never-ended shaft, anticipating the Doctor's return. She looked up, feeling someone watching her, and caught Laila's eye as the woman seemed to be shaking her head.

She narrowed her eyes and walked over to her, standing in front of her with her arms crossed. She'd been waiting for this conversation for a while…

S.S

"We've got all this cable," Ida remarked, gesturing towards the fallen chord, "We might as well use it. The drum's disconnected…we could adapt it," she started to pick it up, "Feed it through."

"And then what?" the Doctor asked, keeping his gaze on the ceiling, his expression one of concern.

"Abseil," she answered, "Into the pit."

"Abseil," he nodded, now looking at her, "Right."

"We're running out of air with no way back," she continued, "It's the only thing we CAN do. Even if it's the last thing we ever achieve."

"I'll get back," he said and she could hear the promise in his voice, "Laila," she smirked a little, which he saw and averted his eyes at, "And Rose, are up there."

"Well," she shrugged, "Maybe the key to that is finding out what's in the pit."

"Well…it's half of a good plan."

She furrowed her brow at that, "What's the other half?"

"I go down," he said, serious, "Not you."

S.S

Laila looked up at Rose as she marched over to her, seemingly upset and smug about something, "Did…did you want me to do something?" she asked.

"No, I was wondering what that look was," Rose said, motioned towards her face, "Like…like you have a problem with my plan."

"No," she shook her head, "I don't."

But it was apparent that Rose didn't hear her, or she thought she'd said something else, "I don't get it," she began, "I've been here since his last regeneration, we travelled together, had fun! Then you show up," her mouth formed into a small sneer, "and you just take it all from me. All the Doctor does is worry about you…"

Laila opened her mouth to speak, "I…"

"No, let me finish," she interrupted, silencing her, "You go around spewing out facts but you're _nothing_ in comparison to him. He thinks you're so innocent, ha!" she laughed, "Please," she shook her head, "You don't belong with the Doctor nor in the TARDIS. What's the point of you? You don't DO ANYTHING!" she frowned, "You can't turn them against me, him or Mickey. I've known them longer than you have, we've developed bonds that you can't break! Whatever it is that you're doing to the Doctor to make him act this way, I will find out what it is," Laila raised an eyebrow, confused, "And when I do I will tell him and then he'll throw you out and it'll be just me and him again, and you'll be alone," she smirked and turned, walking over towards Jefferson, who was watching the scene along with the others in the room.

Laila watched her silently before lowering her gaze, thoughtful.

Jefferson looked away from the scene, choosing not to comment on it once Rose approached him, "Open junctions five…six…seven," he said, "…reroute filters sixteen to twenty-four. Go."

Toby sat in the corner, working on the symbols and no one noticed the small smirk on his face as he dropped it before anyone got a good look at him.

"There's all sorts of viruses that could stop the Ood," Danny informed the group, "Trouble is, we haven't got them aboard."

"Well, that's handy," Rose rolled her eyes, "listing all the things we haven't got. We haven't got a swimming pool either. Or a Tescos."

The computer Danny was monitoring bleeped and the word 'affirmative' flashed on the screen, "Oh my God," he grinned excitedly, "It says yes! I can do it! Hypothetically, if you flip the monitor, broadcast a flare…it can disrupt the telepathy! Brainstorm!"

"What happens to the Ood?" Rose asked, curious.

"It'll tank them, spark out!" he simply said.

"There we are, then!" she smiled enthusiastically, "Do it!"

Laila looked up at that and sighed, shaking her head. She didn't understand it, and she didn't to be rude, but despite Rose knowing the Doctor longer than she…at least _she_ understood the Doctor wouldn't be so willing to kill another race, which was given by what he did to the Time Lords. She could see the guilt in his eyes whenever it was mentioned, showing her that he didn't want to do it and if there were another way to have ended the Time War, he would've gone for it.

It seemed to her that Rose was so willing to get the Doctor back, that she didn't care how to get there, murder or not. And that made her sad in a way, because she knew she couldn't do anything about it…Rose wouldn't listen to her own reasoning.

"No, but…" Danny's face fell and he shook his head, "I'd have to transmit from the central monitor. We need to go to Ood Habitation," there was another bang on the door, causing sparks to fly into the room.

Rose stared at the door, "That's what we'll do, then," she said, then strided over to Jefferson, "Mr. Jefferson, sir! Any way out?"

"Just about…" he said, "…there's a network of maintenance tunnels running underneath the base. We should be able to gain access from here."

She smiled, "Ventilation shafts."

"Yeah, I appreciate the reference, but there's no ventilation. No air, in fact…" he checked the stats, "At all. They were designed for machines, not life forms."

Another bang made them all look up.

"But..." Zach trailed, "I can manipulate the oxygen field field from here. Create discrete pockets of atmosphere…if I can control it manually…I can follow you through the network."

Rose nodded, slowly understanding what he was saying, "Right," she said, "So we go down, and you make the air follow us. By hand."

"You wanted me pressing buttons."

"Yeah…I asked for it…okay, we need to get to Ood Habitation, work out a route."

S.S

The Doctor and Ida stood in the cavern, securing the cable so the Doctor could abseil down.

"That should hold it," Ida said, "How's it going?"

The cable unraveled, "Fine!" the Doctor spoke, "Should work…doesn't feel like such a good idea, now," he stood on the edge of the pit, "Ha…there is is again. That itch," he started to hop up and down crazily, "Go down, go down, go down, go down, go down."

That wasn't really what he was thinking. All he could really think about was what was going on up in the base, and how a certain Time Lady was doing. A solemn feeling washed over him and he realized that he missed her, even though it had only been a couple of hours, give or take, since they stepped foot in the cavern.

"The urge to jump," Ida said, "Do you know where it comes from, that sensation? Genetic heritage. Ever since we were primates in the tires. It's our body's way of testing us. Calculating whether or not we can reach the next branch."

"No," the Doctor shook his head, thoughtful, "That's not it…that's too kind. It's not the urge to jump, it's deeper than that. It's the urge to fall!" he jumped backwards down the hole, falling into the darkness.

"Doctor!" she shouted and pressed a button, the cable becoming strained.

S.S

The Doctor jolted as he came to a stop, now hanging by the cable a little ways into the pit, "Are you okay?" Ida asked.

"Not bad, thanks," he responded, "The wall of the pit…seems to be the same as the cavern, just…" he pulled out his torch, shining it down, "Not must of it. There's a crust about twenty feet down and then…" he narrowed his eyes, trying to see further, "Nothing. Just the pit. Okay, then. Lower me down."

"Well, here we go, then."

She pressed the button again and he was lowered slowly down into the pit.

S.S

Another violent bang on Door 25 notified the others the Ood were closer to breaking down the door. Rose, Laila, Jefferson, and Toby were ready to enter the maintenance tunnels, but Danny was still at the computer.

"Danny!" Rose shouted to him.

"Hole on!" he called over his shoulder, "Just conforming…"

"Dan, you gotta go NOW!" Jefferson yelled, "Come on!"

The computer bleeped, "Yeah!" he cheered and took out an orange computer chip from the machine. He held it up to them so they could see, "Put that in the monitor…and it's a bad time to be an Ood!" he explained.

"We're coming back," Rose pointed at him, "Have you got that? We're coming back to this room and we're getting the Doctor out."

"Okay, Danny, you go first," Jefferson ordered, "Then you Miss Tyler, then Laila and Toby, I'll go last in defense of position," he ushered them inside, "Now come on! Quick as you can!"

They all lowered themselves down into the tunnels in the order he specified. Rose landed in the tunnel next to Danny and breathed, "God, it stinks," she looked at Danny, "You all right?"

"Yeah," he said sarcastically, "I'm laughing," Laila and Toby landed in beside them, "Which way do we go?" he said this into his comm. to Zach.

"Just go straight ahead," Zach responded, "Keep going 'til I say so."

Jefferson made it into the hole just in time as the Ood finally broke down the door, advancing towards the entrance.

The group crawled down the tunnel as fast as they could, "Not your best angle, Danny," Rose remarked, staring at Danny's bum.

"Oi!" Danny cried, embarrassed, "Stop it!"

"I dunno," Toby started, considering Laila's, "It could be worse."

Laila didn't respond to the remark, choosing to remain silent as they crawled.

"Straight along until you find junction 7.1," Zach instructed them, "Keep breathing. I'm feeding you air. I've got you."

They continued until they reached a junction in the tunnel and sat down, out of breath, "We're at 7.1, sir," Danny reported into his wrist device.

S.S

"Okay," Zach said, "I've got you…." he pressed a couple of more buttons, and a bang on the door made him jump, "I'm just aerating the next section."

"Getting kinda cramped, sir…" Danny commented, "Can't you hurry up?"

"I'm working on half power, here," he retorted.

S.S

"Stop complaining," Jefferson said in defense of the Captain.

"Mr. Jefferson says 'stop complaining'," Rose said to Danny.

"I heard," Danny rolled his eyes.

"He heard," she told Jefferson.

"But the air's getting a bit thin," Toby spoke into his wrist device.

"HE'S complaining now," she said.

"I heard," Jefferson nodded as Danny wiped the sweat off his face. Rose sniffed and her face screwed up in disgust. Laila also took a whiff and wrinkled her nose at what hit her nose.

"Danny," she blinked, "Is that you?"

"I'm not exactly happy," he retorted defensively.

"I'm just moving the air…" Zach interrupted, "I've got to oxygenate the next section. Now, keep calm…or it's gonna feel worse."

A loud bang reached their ears, echoing down from the other end of the tunnel. Laila frowned in concern as Jefferson aimed his gun in the direction it came from, "What was that?" Danny asked.

"The Ood…" Laila murmured quietly, but loud enough for the others to hear.

"The junction in Habitation Five's been opened…" Zach confirmed, "It must be the Ood. They're in the tunnels!"

"Well," Danny called, "Open the gate!"

"I've gotta get the air in!"

"Just open it!" he nearly shouted, starting to panic, "…sir."

"Where are they?" Rose questioned, "Are they close?"

"Don't know, I can't tell…" Zach replied, "I can't _see_ them…the computer doesn't register Ood as proper life forms."

Laila shook her head at that while Rose just raised an eyebrow, "Whose idea was that?" she asked.

"OPEN the gate!" Danny interrupted, practically roaring into the wrist device.

The gate opened and they lunged through it, "Danny," Zach said, "Turn let. Immediate left."

The group crawled down the tunnel as fast as they could, Jefferson going backwards with gun at ready, "The Ood, sir," he began, "Can't you trap them? Cut off the air?"

"Not without cutting off yours," Zach said, "Danny, turn right! Go right! Go fast, Dan…they're gonna catch up!"

Danny picked up speed, frantic now.

"I'll maintain defense of position!" Jefferson told the group. Rose and Laila stopped to look at him.

"You can't stop!" Rose argued.

He sat down, not looking at her, "Miss Tyler….that's my job. You've got your task…now see to it."

"You heard what he said," Toby turned to Rose, "now SHIFT."

They moved on, leaving Jefferson behind. Laila let Toby move past her and she crawled over toward Jefferson, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You don't have to do this," she said quietly.

"Yes, yes I do," he argued, "Now go or you'll miss your chance to escape."

"Jefferson, Mr. Jefferson," she sighed, "Scooti's gone, those two guards are gone, and the Ood have gone mental from possession, they're basically gone _and_ dead. That's a lot of deaths for one day, don't you think?" she lowered her gaze, "Please, don't add another death to that list, not yours," she let out a breath and he looked at her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes, "Please…"

Jefferson turned, seeing a couple of Ood coming and shot at them, "Come on!" he shouted and she smiled, leading the way as they started to crawl hurriedly after the others. Eventually they reached them, nearly out of breath, at the junction, seeing Danny pounding on the door desperately.

"Danny," Rose said, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him, "Stop it. That's not helping."

"Zach, get it open!" Toby yelled.

The gate opened, allowing Danny, Rose, Toby, Laila, and Jefferson through it. They all slumped against the tunnel walls, gulping the air into their lungs. A bang on the gate made them jump and Jefferson stared at it for a moment then at Laila who smiled at him, happy he was alive and not Ood-bait.

He didn't know the woman well at all, hardly knew a thing about her, but he could definitely say that Miss Tyler was wrong about her. He couldn't imagine someone as she described so deceiving to have saved his life and risked their own even to get _him_ to safety, a stranger nonetheless! He couldn't imagine her having an incentive strong enough for that to be choice.

"Zach…we're at the final junction," Danny said into his wrist device.

"Opening 9.2."

The gate opened to reveal a horde of Ood behind it, waiting for them. They all scrambled back away from them, shocked, "Lower 9.2," Rose called, "Zach, lower it!"

"Back!" Danny shouted, "Back! Back!"

"We can't go back!" Toby said, "The gang point's sealed off, we're stuck!"

Rose looked around and noticed the grilling above her head, "Come on!" she said, pushing it out of the way and climbing up. Danny followed after her, then Laila, and then Jefferson.

S.S

The Ood crawled towards Toby, "Come on!" Rose called down to him, "Toby, come on!"

Toby glanced at the Ood and placed a discrete finger to his lips, his eyes glowing red once more.

"Toby, get out there!"

"Help me!" he shouted, trying to scramble up, his eyes back to normal, "Oh, my God…help me!"

S.S

Rose and Danny hoisted Toby through the hole as more Ood approached from one end of the corridor, "It's this way," Danny informed them and ran off down the hall, the group following after them.

S.S

There was another bang on the door of the control room. Zach picked up his bolt gun, holding it up in a defensive position, "Hurry up!" he said into his wrist device.

S.S

The group burst into Ood Habitation, rushing over to the computer. The Ood already inside, and possessed, looked up at their arrival, "Get it in!" Rose yelled.

"Danny, get down," Toby said.

"Transmit!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Danny retorted, scrambling to get everything together, "I'm getting at it…"

"Stop them!" Toby shouted as the Ood made their way up the stairs towards them. Jefferson stood at the tip of the staircase, aiming his gun at them, shooting off a couple of rounds. Laila winced and turned to face the others.

"Danny, get that thing transmitting!" Rose screamed, her heart pounding in her chest.

Danny bunged it into the computer and they watched as the reading descended down to Basic 0. The Ood clutched their heads and stumbled about, all over the ship before finally collapsing to the floor, dead.

"You did it!" Rose cheered, "We did it!"

"Yes!" Danny grinned happily. She laughed in delight and hugged him, then Toby, and then Jefferson, stopping at Laila, seeing the woman looking down at the fallen creatures solemnly and narrowed her eyes a bit. Why couldn't she be happy that they were alive?

She shook her head and turned away from her, "Zach," she called into the comm., "We did it. The Ood are down. Now we've gotta get the Doctor."

"I'm on my way," Zach replied and she rushed from Ood Habitation and out the door. Laila watched her run off before following after her.

S.S

The Doctor was still being lowered into the pit, complete darkness surrounding him, "You get representations of the Horned Beast right across the universe," he spoke into the comm., "In the myths and legends of a million worlds. Earth…Draconia, Velconsadine…Daemos…the Kaled God of War…it's the same image, over and over again. Maybe…that idea came from somewhere. Bleeding through…the thought at the back of every sentient mind."

"Emanating from here?" Ida asked.

"Could be."

"But if this is the original…" she wondered, "Does that make it real? Does that make it the actual devil, though?

"Well, if that's what you want to believe," he said, "Maybe that's what the devil is, in the end. An idea," suddenly he came to halt, the cable stopping short.

"That's it," she told him, "That's all we've got," the Doctor pressed a coupled of buttons on his wrist device, "You getting any sort of readout?"

"Nothing," he responded, "Could be miles to go, yet. Or…could be thirty feet. No way of telling," he contemplated it for a moment. "I could survive thirty feet."

"Oh no you don't," she countered immediately, "I'm pulling you back up," the cable began to ascend but the Doctor pressed a button his own end, stopping it, "What're you doing?!"

"You bring me back, then we're just gonna sit there and run out of air," he retorted, "I've got to go down."

"But you can't," she said, fright lacing her voice, "Doctor, you can't."

"Call it an act of faith," he simply said and began to release the hooks securing him to the cable.

"But….I don't want to die on my own."

"I know," he smiled sadly and released another hook.

S.S

Rose, Laila, and the others reached the exploration deck and without a moment's hesitation, Rose picked up the comm., "Doctor?" she called into it, "Are you there? Doctor? Ida? Can you hear me?"

"The comms are still down," Zach informed her, "I can patch them through the central desk and boost the signal. Just give me a minute."

Rose stood silently on the deck, watching him work on the computer, waiting anxiously

S.S

The Doctor released another hook, "I didn't ask…" he trailed, "have you got any sort of faith, or…?"

"Not really," Ida answered, "I was brought up Neo Classic, congregational…because of my mum, she was…" she paused, "My old mum. But no, I never believe."

"Neo Classic," he nodded, considering it, "Have they got a devil?"

"No, not as such," she said, "Just um…the things that men do."

"Same thing in the end."

"What about you?" she questioned and he had to pause for a long second, thinking.

"I believe…" he blinked, "I believe I haven't seen everything, I don't know…it's funny, isn't it? The things you make up…the rules. If that thing had said it came from BEYOND the universe, I'd believe it, but BEFORE the universe…impossible. Doesn't fit my rule. Still, that's why I keep travelling. To be proved wrong. Thank you Ida."

"Don't go!" she shouted.

"If they get back in touch…" he let a sad smile grace his face, "If you talk to Rose…just tell her she's brilliant…and Laila…" he chuckled, a heavy feeling settling in his hearts, "…Laila…" he closed his eyes for a minute, letting his feelings run free for once, "I've failed her so many times…and I'm so sorry for it…tell her that for me…" he swallowed, "There's something else, but there's not enough time for _that_…I'd be here all day…"

He let out a breath and released the final hook, letting himself fall into nothingness, "Doctor?" Rose's voice broke through the comm. a moment too late, "Are you there? Doctor, Ida? Can you hear me?"

"He's gone," Ida told her from her communication device.

S.S

Rose and Laila both frowned deeply at that, thinking what it could possibly mean, "What do you mean, "He's gone"?" Rose asked.

"He fell," she said, "Into the pit. And I don't know how deep it is…miles and miles and miles."

Laila closed her eyes as Rose went silent for a moment, "But…" her voice broke a bit, "What do you mean "He fell"?"

"I couldn't stop him," Ida said quietly, almost solemnly, "He told me to to tell you that you're brilliant, and is Laila there?"

Rose swallowed, "Yes…"

"Um, he told me to tell her he's sorry for…for failing her," Laila's eyes snapped forwards at that and she furrowed her brow, confused, "He didn't go into details with that. He also said there was something else, I'm not sure if he wanted me to tell her…but," there was a soft chuckle, "He said it'd take all day if he'd told me _that_…also not sure what he meant by that."

Laila frowned, something in her voice, and the chuckle, telling her that she knew a little more than she was letting on, but she didn't question it. Instead she lowered her eyes to focus on the ground, listening silently to the sound of her hearts beating a bit painfully.

What did he mean by he'd failed her? Failed her how exactly? And what was so important that it'd take all day for him to get the message across…whatever it was…?

"I'm sorry," Zach spoke up but neither she nor Rose responded. She didn't need to look up know that Rose was glowering at her; she could almost feel the waves of dislike hitting her, "Ida? There's no way of reaching you. Now cable, no back-up…you're ten miles down…" he sighed, "We can't get there."

"You should see this place, Zach," Ida remarked, "It's beautiful. Well, I wanted to discover things…" they could hear the tears in her voice, "And here I am."

"We've got to abandon the base. I'm declaring this mission unsafe. All we can do is make sure no one ever comes here again."

"But we'll never find out what it was?"

"Well, maybe that's best."

"Yeah…"

There was a pause, "Officer Scott…" he started.

"It's all right," she interrupted, knowing where he was heading with it, "Just go. Good luck."

"Thank you," he smiled a bit before cutting off the comm., "Danny, Toby, Jefferson, close down the feed links. Get the retrostopes online. Then get to the rocket…strap yourselves in. We're leaving."

Rose turned to face him, "I'm not going."

"Rose," Zach said reassuringly, "There's space for you and Laila," he nodded at her and she smiled a little up at him.

"No," she shook her head, "I'm gonna wait for the Doctor. Just like he waited for me."

"I'm sorry," he spoke gently, "But…he's dead."

Laila shook her head at that, knowing it was the opposite. Time Lords had a natural ability to be able to tell whether another of their race was dead or not, whether they knew them or not, it was odd but they just knew. That's how she and the Doctor knew that all of the other Time Lords were gone and wouldn't be coming back, no matter how much they hoped to be proved wrong. If the Doctor was dead, she'd know it for sure because…she'd feel even lonelier than she did before.

"You don't know him," Rose countered, "'Cos he's not…" her voice broke as she repressed her tears, "I'm telling you, he's…he's not….and even if he was, how could I leave him? All on his own, all the way down there? No. I'm gonna stay."

Zach nodded, "Then I apologize for this," he said, "Danny…Toby…make her secure."

Danny and Toby came up on either side of Rose, taking an arm each, "No…no! No! No! No! Let me go!" she screamed at them, struggling to free herself, "Get off me! I'm not leaving!" she glared at Laila as she just watched the scene happen, not doing anything to stop it, "I _knew_ you didn't care about him!" Zach plunged a needle into her arm, sedating her, "No…" and she went limp, unconscious.

"I have lost too many people," he reasoned, "I am not leaving you behind," he hoisted her over his shoulder, "Let's get her on board," he walked out the door, leading the others away.

S.S

This was an interesting chapter, wasn't it? We got a little of what Laila feels for the Doctor, just a bit, not much, but we'll be getting more in the original chapter I promised you all. We're also getting one step closer to the Doctor confessing _something_ dealing with the Time Lady. It'll take all day, huh? Wonder what that means ;)

Speaking of that, I just have to go aw! The Doctor misses Laila, how sweet. Have you all noticed something he's starting to do here? Or something that he's _not_ doing?

And Rose! I can't believe she said that to Laila, I told you all it would be worse in comparison to what she said on the ship. She told Laila there she was basically useless, but here she's saying that she's _nothing at all_ plus calling her a liar/deceiver, AND that she doesn't belong anywhere NEAR the Doctor along with some further accusations of ruining her and the Doctor's relationship. If someone told me that that I'd just cry…or call them very immature….probably both…

I'm awaiting so anxiously for the next chapter because we get our big, BIG, reveal about Laila…then we get the scene where she tells the Doctor she's leaving…it's going to be so sad, but so, _so_, sweet ;)

Five reviews :)

Mionerocks: Thank you!

Veyrona: I'm glad you liked it, and we'll be finding out what he meant in the next chapter.

Time-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: Lol, I understand what you mean. Thank you :)

TheGirlWhoWaited: He is different from the other Time Lords, and I've already written the next chapter, so maybe you're right, maybe he won't send her away. Who knows, right? Besides me of course ;)

The Inquirer: You're welcome. She might leave, but then again the Doctor could convince her to stay. She is closer to Mickey in one way as we see, but we don't exactly know how close she is to the Doctor in other ways. You're right, she won't be wooed easily, but there are a couple of factors that will lead to a major decision in the last episode of this season.


	24. The Satan Pit: Her Hidden Life

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

The Satan Pit

Chapter 24: Her Hidden Life

* * *

The group emerged into a corridor with the Ood slumped on the ground around them, "Did that one just move?" Toby questioned, pointing at it. It opened its eyes and lifted its head to look at them.

"The telepathic field," Danny realized, "It's reasserting itself."

"Move it," Zach ushered, "Get to the rocket…move!"

They hurried down the hall as more Ood woke from left to right.

S.S

The Doctor lied face down at the bottom of the pit, his helmet shattered from the impact. After a moment he began to stir, groaning, and his eyes fluttered opened. As he slowly stood to his feet, he recognized his helmet had broken and gasped, his hand flying to his mouth, then lowered it slowly, "I'm breathing," he said with wonder before removing his helmet, peering around the cavern, "Air cushion to support the fall…" he grabbed the comm. and turned it on, "You can breathe down here, Ida," there was no reply, only static, "Can you hear me, Ida?"

S.S

As soon as the group reached the rocket, they immediately strapped themselves into their seats, Zach helping Rose in, who was still unconscious before moving over to the pilot's seat, "Dislocating B-Clamp…C-Clamp…raising blue nitrates to maximum," he spoke as he did the actions, "Toby, how's the negapact feed line?

"Clear!" Toby confirmed, "Ready to go, sir. For God's sakes, get us out of here!"

Laila, from her spot near Rose, turned her head as she began to stir, "Captain…" Danny began, "I think we're gonna have a problem passenger…"

"Keep an eye on her," Zach replied.

"Wait…." Rose blinked, coming to, "I'm not…."

"It's all right, Rose," Danny assured her, "You're safe…"

At that, she jumped up, noticing where she was, "I'm not going anywhere!" she shouted, tugging at her seatbelt, "Get me out of this thing! Get me out!"

"And…lift-off!" Zach called and the rocket began to shake as it started its way off the planet.

Laila smiled a little, happy they were happy, and then turned her head to look out the small window in the ship, her face dropping. The Doctor felt like he failed her, huh? If anything she had failed him, all of them actually. She took another look down at her hand, the faint blue symbol still embedded in her skin. It was only a matter of time…

She liked travelling with the Doctor in the TARDIS, she didn't care if he was the only Time Lord, besides her, that survived the Time War, and she just didn't want to leave….but she would have to, to save them. If there was one thing she hated above everything else was someone getting hurt, whether it be a stranger or not, because of her own actions.

S.S

The Doctor looked up, hearing the sound of the rocket leaving, "A rocket…" he whispered sadly, his hearts beating painfully, "I'm _so_ sorry…"

S.S

Rose looked frantically around the rocket, spotting the bolt gun and grabbed it, pointing it at the back of Zach's head. Laila eyed her from her spot and the others looked on a bit shocked, and Jefferson slowly pulled out his gun, ready just in case, "Take me back to the planet," she threatened. Zach didn't reply, nor did he turn around, "Take me BACK!"

"Or what?" he questioned.

"Or I'll shoot."

He turned around to face her, "Would you, though?" he said, "Would you really? Is that what your Doctor would want?" she held his gaze for a moment. Danny looked between the two, slightly shaken. After a second, Rose slumped back in her chair, dropping the gun, Jefferson kicking it away from her reach, "Sorry, but it's too late anyway. Take a look outside. We can't turn back. This is what the Doctor would have wanted," she looked out the window, seeing the black hole getting further and further away, "Isn't that right?"

S.S

The Doctor shined his torch along the wall of the cavern, revealing rather crude drawings of a horned beast and tiny stick figures, the Principles of Light, surrounding it, "History of some big battle," he noted, "Man against Beast," he held the comm. up to his mouth, "I dunno if you're getting this, Ida. Hope so. Anyway, they defeated the Beast and imprisoned it," he continued on until the light of the torch landed on what looked like a large vase on a stand. Surprised and curious, he turned the light back on the symbols of the people carrying the vase on their heads, then approached the first vase seeing another one in line with it, "Or maybe that's the key…"

He touched the vase and they both lit up, "Or the gate, or the bars…" he considered. A low growl sounded from behind him and he turned, his mouth dropping open. Before him, in the pit, was a huge horned beast chained down. It roared at him.

S.S

Laila stared out the window and shivered a little and looked down at her hand again, the symbol glowing brightly than before. It was coming slow, but surely, and she wasn't going to try and stop it again…it'd just find another way to escape. She let out a breath, reassuring herself that everything would be fine.

Toby started to laugh quietly to himself, as Rose fiddled with her seatbelt again, "What's funny?" Jefferson questioned, eying him. Despite what everyone else believed, he was still cautious of the boy.

"Just…" he smiled, "We made it. We escaped. We actually did it."

"Not all of us," Rose remarked.

"We're not out of it yet," Zach told them, "We're still the first people in history to fly AWAY from a black hole. Toby, read me the stats."

"Gravity funnel holding, sir," Toby reported, smirking, "Always holding."

S.S

The Doctor stared at the Beast, "I accept that you exist," he said, "I don't have to accept what you are, but your physical existence, I'll give you that," the Beast growled and he took a few steps forwards, "But I don't understand. I was EXPECTED down here. I was given a safe landing, and air. You need me for something? What for?" it just lunged forwards, straining against the chains holding it down, "Have I got to…I dunno, beg an audience? Or….is there a ritual? Some sort of incantation or summons or spells…all these things I don't believe in…are they real?" the Beast just looked at him and he frowned deeper, "Speak to me! Tell me!" no reply, "You won't take. Or…." his eyes widened in realization, "You CAN'T talk. Hold on, hold on. Wait a minute, just let me…"

He thought about it hard, nearly pulling his hair out, "Oh!" he nodded, then shook his head, "No. Yes! No…think it through, you SPOKE before. I heard your voice. An intelligent voice. No, more than that…brilliant! But," he looked up at the creature, "Looking at you now….all I can see…" the Beast snarled at him, "Is…" another growl, "Beast. The animal. Just…the body. You're just the body, the physical form! What's happening to your mind? Hmm? Where's it gone? Where's that intelligence?"

He glanced upwards as it dawned upon him and he felt his heart and stomach drop as he did so, "Oh, no…" he shook his head, placing it in his hands, "No, no, no, no….I'm such an IDIOT!"

S.S

"Stats," Toby read, "At 53, funnel status at 66.5. Hull pressure constant. Smooth as we can, sir. All the way back home," Rose stared out the window, just as Laila, so sad, "Coordinates set for Planet Earth," no one noticed the corners of his mouth twitch upwards in an unpleasant smile.

S.S

The Doctor examined the symbols covering the walls once more, "You're imprisoned," he said, "Long time ago. Before the universe, after, sideways, in-between, doesn't matter. The positioning is PERFECT. It's absolutely…it's eternal. Oh, YES! Open the prison….the gravity field collapses! This planet falls into the black hole! You escape, you die. BRILLIANT! But that's just the body," his eyes scanned along the architecture, "The body is trapped, that's all. The devil is an idea. In all those civilizations…just an idea," he paused as he tried to figure it out, "But an idea is hard to kill. An idea could escape. The mind…the mind of the great Beast….the mind can escape! Oh, but that's it! You didn't give me air…your jailers did! They set this up! All those years ago! They need me alive," he grinned, "Because if you're escaping, then I've gotta stop you."

The Beast roared in absolute rage, straining heavily against the chains as he picked up a rock, "If I destroy your prison," he continued, "Your body is destroyed. Your mind with it," he swung the rock over his head, ready to bring it down on the vase before he stopped, dropping it to the ground, "But then you're clever enough to use this whole system against me. If I destroy this planet, I destroy the gravity field. The rocket. The rocket loses protection and falls into the black hole. I'll have to sacrifice Rose….and…and Laila," he swallowed, a heavy feeling settling in his chest the thought. The Beast laughed at him as he figured it out mirthlessly.

S.S

"It doesn't make sense," Rose wondered aloud, "We escaped, but there's a thousand ways it could've killed us. If could've…ripped out the air or…I dunno, burnt us, or anything. But it let us go. Why? Unless it wanted us to escape…."

Laila smiled a little, her back still facing them, "Hey, Rose," Toby said, "Do us a favour…Shut up," Rose frowned and started at him as he looked away, "Almost there. We'll be beyond the reach of the black hole in 40…39…"

S.S

"So, that's the trap," the Doctor nodded, "Or the test of the final judgment, I don't know. But if I kill you, I kill them…I kill her…" he rubbed his face, "And I break my promise…again…" the Beast laughed at him then roared, "Except that implies…in this big grand scheme of Gods and Devils…that she's just a victim," he shook his head, "But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demi-gods and would-be gods…out of all that…out of that whole pantheon…if I believe in one thing…just one thing…" he smirked, a fire in his eyes, "I believe in HER."

He picked up the rock and smashed the vase…

S.S

Suddenly, the rocket began to shake violently, knocking the group about in their seats, "What happened?" Danny asked, looking around frantically, "What was that?!"

"What's he doing?" Toby frowned, "What is he doing?"

Laila's smile widened considerable and she quietly whispered a thanks.

"We've lost the funnel!" Zach shouted, "Gravity collapse!"

"What does that mean?" Rose asked with her brow furrowed in concern.

"We can't escape," he explained, "We're headed straight for the black hole!"

S.S

The Doctor smashed the other vase, "This is your freedom!" he yelled at the Beast, "Free to DIE. You're going into that black hole and I'm riding with you."

Flames fell from the Beast's mouth as it roared in rage.

S.S

"It's the planet," Rose said, looking out the window, "The planet's moving. It's falling."

She sat back in her seat and glanced at Toby, reeling backwards in shock as she did. He was glaring at her, his eyes red once more…the symbols staining his skin again, "I am the rage…" he began in the voice of the Beast.

Laila turned her head, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, which flashed blue, the same colour as the symbol on her hand, "It's Toby, Zach," Rose spoke, frightened, "Do something…"

"And the bile and the ferocity…" Toby/the Beast continued. Unbuckling her seatbelt, Laila rose to her feet and the others glanced at her, wondering what she was doing.

"Just do something!" Rose screamed.

"I am the Prince and the Fall and the Darkness…"

"And you're disobeying our orders…"

Toby/the Beast whipped around sharply to see Laila standing behind him, staring down at him intensely, "Laila, what are you doing?!" Zach called, incredulous.

"Stay back," Toby/the Beast warned her, "I know the others have all perished, you being the last descendent of the ones who imprisoned me…my sworn enemies."

"And you know why, Beast, why you were bound forever to the planet that none should have ever stepped on," Laila countered and the others noted the extra layer in her voice, like it was her, plus something else, "I won't let you hurt them…"

She opened her mouth and the rest of them could only watch, in shock, confusion, and a bit of awe as a melodic sound emitted from her lips, filling the whole ship, "I…I feel…" Danny blinked.

"Calm," Zach finished for him, not able to tear his gaze away from the scene. Whatever was going on seemed to be working against the Beast, who began thrashing around as she caroled. The sound, the sound it was like there were voices all around joining her in harmony, making it even more beautiful…

"Stop it!" Toby/the Beast growled, twitching, "I said stop it!"

But Laila only continued, a small smile making its way to her face as she closed her eyes…

S.S

The Beast in the pit writhed around, burning up and the Doctor looked around the cavern in wonder, hearing the voices as well, "What…" he twisted his head as a figure appeared beside him, Laila, and he gaped, his eyes widening in realization, as he finally understood. Everything made _so_ much sense….

And then his hearts dropped, another thought coming to mind…

"_Only time can tell, Doctor," was all she told him before walking past him, "When that day comes, you'll see me in a whole different light. And I'm afraid that's the day I'll truly have to leave…"_

Laila smiled sadly at the slightly heartbroken expression on his face before turning to the Beast, walking towards it, finishing her melody, "Beast," she spoke in a tongue the Doctor couldn't understand, "You will not walk free, for I will see to it that you stay here for eternity, as was your punishment given by the Healers."

She held up her hand and a bluish hue began to conceal the Beast, "Let Toby go," she commanded lightly.

S.S

Rose, Zach, Danny, and Jefferson watched as Laila fell to the ground and Toby writhed around, screaming as if in pain, the symbols fading off of him one at a time as the same blue hue covered him, "Oh my god…" Rose breathed, horrified.

"It's like something's purifying him," Zach blinked, "Something…" his eyes travelled down to where Laila lied and he frowned in concern.

S.S

After staring for a little longer, the Doctor shook his head, "Laila!" he shouted as the placed began to rumble, rocks falling down around them, "Come on!" she didn't budge from her spot, speaking in a low incoherent tongue. He dashed over to her, about to take her hand to pull her along when she held up her hand, halting him. She stared at him as he pleaded with his eyes…sh…she didn't expect him to leave her here, did she?

"Go," Laila spoke and he blinked, stunned, before he found himself flying backwards into something…he groaned and looked up, seeing the TARDIS. He quickly stood to his feet and froze, seeing the rubble blocking his path to the Beast and Laila.

"Laila!" he shouted, starting to shake, "Don't…" he bit his lip, intensely staring at the wall of rocks before running into the TARDIS, closing the doors behind him.

S.S

With one last scream, Toby was freed from the Beast, and slumped into his chair, unconscious. An indescribable silence took over the ship as Rose, Jefferson, Danny, and Zach looked on before each turned their heads away, not trusting themselves to believe what had just occurred. Then again, given what happened with the Ood, and the Beast showing up, the fact that anything was possible was secure in their minds.

Danny looked onto the monitor as it showcased the planet fallen right into the black hole, then nothing, "The planet's gone," he informed the rest of the group, glancing at Rose as she remained silent, "I'm sorry."

"Accelerate," Zach commanded, "I did my best. But hey…first Human Beings to fall inside a black hole. How about that? History."

Rose closed her eyes and they all held on tight as the rocket began to shake violently, gravity taking a hold of them. They all had their eyes screwed shut, ready for impact, when…it stopped, everything calmed as silence fell again. She looked up, opening one eye, "What happened?" she asked.

They all leaned to the side as the rocket seemed to be turning around, "We're…turning," Zach answered, confused, "We're turning around. We're turning away!"

"Sorry about the hijack, Captain," the Doctor's voice broke through the comm. as it came to life, "This is the good ship TARDIS." Rose's mouth dropped opened and her eyes lit up, not able to help the smile that spread across her face, "Now, first thing's first…" there was a long silence on his end, and they all glanced at each other, curious and worriedly, "Um…is…is Laila on board with you all?"

"Yeah," Zach responded, "But she's unconscious."

"Oh," they could hear the relief in his voice, "_Thank goodness_," he laughed with relief, "….not that she's unconscious, that she's alive…um…" another silence, "Is Rose Tyler there with you?"

"I'm here!" Rose answered, overjoyed, despite him asking about Laila first, "It's me! Oh, my God!" she laughed and put her hand over her face, giddy with relief and happiness, "Where are you?"

"I'm just towing you home," he replied, "Gravity-schmavity. My people practically invented black holes," there was a pause, "Well…in fact, they did. In a couple of minutes, we'll be nice and safe. Oh, and captain…can we do a swap?" Zach raised an eyebrow, "Say, if you give me Laila and Rose Tyler…I'll give you Ida Scott? How about that?"

Zach grinned, "She's alive!"

Jefferson smiled as well, "Thank God."

"YES!" Danny cheered, happy at the news.

"Yeah!" the Doctor confirmed, "Bit of oxygen starvation, but she should be all right. I couldn't save the Ood," he sounded solemn as he said this, "I only had time for one trip. They went down with the planet," there was bleeping sound from the other end, "Ah! Entering clear space…end of the line…mission closed."

S.S

Rose smiled to herself, so happy and relieved plus proud all at the same time. She ran up the TARDIS door and opened it. The Doctor looked up from his spot near the console and smiled a little and she smiled too, seeing his eyes shining with unshed tears…and then she frowned, following his gaze to see him actually staring _behind_ her. She looked back to see Laila, conscious now, leaning against the doorframe, breathing heavily.

The Doctor slowly walked up to her, staring at her intensely, "I…I…t…thought you died," he breathed and Rose narrowed her eyes at how he seemed to not notice her standing RIGHT THERE, "How…?"

Laila winced and he held her up as she fell forwards a little, "Controlled illusion," she gritted her teeth, "hate it, takes a lot of energy out of me," she simply said before gazing up at him, "Now you know…" she removed herself from his grasp, falling back against the railing, "I don't care where you drop me off…Earth…some distant planet you'll never step foot on…" there was no reply and she turned to see him just staring at her, "What is it? I don't want to hear another story about what the Healer's did, okay?" she took a deep breath, "I don't want to hear you tell me things I already know. So can we just move on with it?"

"What makes you think I want you to leave?" the Doctor questioned, hurt, frowning when she chuckled at the question.

"Because the rest of them did," she said, "The council knew what I was, and they were afraid so they kept me hidden from the other Time Lords except my family. My parents knew, but it didn't matter because they didn't want me anyways," he nodded, having already guessed it, "They wanted another boy, I already had an older brother, but they got me instead," she lowered her gaze, "It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't a Healer…"

"What do you mean?" he furrowed his brow. There wasn't much known about the Healer race, only that they were a part of the Time Lord heritage some millions of years ago and destroyed themselves in a battle against their own kind.

"You see, what happens when a child of healing is born is that we take a part of our mother's energy," she clarified, "And it converts into usable energy for us, so we may live…without it we're basically dead. Because she wasn't a descendant of the Healer's, the extraction made my mother _very_ weak, unable to give birth again…so it stopped with me," she chuckled, "They had to have someone to blame, why not me?"

"That's not your fault," the Doctor kneeled down next to her, seeing the guilt clear in her eyes, "You didn't ask to be a Healer, no one asks to be who they are, they just are!" he sighed, seeing she wasn't listening to his reasoning, "Laila, look at me," she turned her head, "Do you really think I'm going to be like all the others? That I'm going to turn you away because of something you NEVER asked to be? Because of something you can't control, that's a part of you, that…that…honestly makes you even more brilliant to me than before."

"I don't believe you," she murmured, furrowing her brow, "_Why_ are you doing this to me?" she placed her head in her lap, shielding her face from him, "How do you _expect_ me to believe that out of everyone, including my own FAMILY, that you're different than the rest?" she looked up and he could see the unshed tears in her eyes and his hearts broke a little.

"Because…" he smiled softly, "I promised…"

She frowned, "What?"

"I promised," he repeated, looking her dead in the eyes, letting her know how serious he was, "I promised myself that I wouldn't hurt you again, not like I did before and though I've failed to keep you safe…." he held her gaze, "I won't fail to make sure you never have to go through something like what you did _ever_ again."

"Doctor…" she blinked, seriously stunned. Was he really telling her all of this?

"I think I get why you want to leave," he continued, "You think you'll end up like them, that you'll end up hurting the ones around you," her eyes widened a bit and he smiled, "But I don't think that's true, no, you're too…kind," that was one thing and Mickey could agree on, "And you've been fighting it! That's the one thing the Healer's didn't do, and if they did, they did a poor job at it. But look at you! You've come this far and you're still…you. Laila…you're still you. They lost themselves in the road to power but you stayed the same, you fought it, you didn't want to be like them and guess what….you're not. I don't think you'll ever be."

"But…but you don't know if that'll change," she argued, "They basically killed, took people's energy from them and left them empty shells on the ground," Rose's eyes widened a bit at the information, "How do you know I won't lose control? That one day I won't wake up with the desire to be above everyone else?"

"Because they broke you…" he shook his head, "They broke you down and made you think you were worthless, that you were a burden. You're not, honestly you're not, but that's what they did…" she averted her gaze, "You've been torn down, no matter what you do you think you'll never get there, that you will never amount to anything…"

"Stop it," she interrupted and he smiled, gazing at her tenderly, a look that made her feel a bit bashful.

"When truth-be-told you're one of the most brilliant people I've met so far, and that's including me," he commented, and she rolled her eyes, "Those designs you come up with, the wisdom in your voice, the ideas floating in your mind, and the regret in your eyes…" she stared at him, "There's _nothing_ you can say or do, or anyone else for that matter, that would make me think that you're less than amazing…so…please…" he pleaded with his eyes, "Don't leave…" he reached out to place a hand on hers, stopping short when a he started to feel tingly inside before everything went white…

S.S

_The Doctor looked around, finding himself in a corridor, and he frowned as he recognized it. The ship they found the portals to France on, but how could he be here? He was just in the TARDIS with Laila, hopefully convincing her to stay onboard with him. _

_Voices caused him to hurry along the hall, stopping short as he saw Rose, Laila, and Mickey, along with himself just as he circled onto the other side of the fireplace. He watched curiously as Rose glanced down at the fire extinguisher in her hands, weighing it as Mickey looked at her._

"_He said not to look for it…" Mickey told her._

"_Yeah, he did," she looked at him and they stared at each other for a minute before Mickey smiled and grabbed the other fire extinguisher off the wall, Laila opening her mouth to possibly object, "Now you're getting it!" Rose laughed and the Doctor watched her expression change into irritation as she looked at Laila, "What? Oh, is little miss innocent gonna tell on us?" he frowned as she laughed then frowned, "Look I know your game, and it's not funny, it's just sad. It's only a matter of time before the Doctor sees that too," the Doctor continuing to look on, his eyes narrowed a bit, as Rose came back, "You're not all that useful either, I don't understand why he keeps you. You just stand 'round all day, doing nothing," she shook her head, "Maybe he just pities you…" she whipped around, a smirk on her face as she walked away. _

_The Doctor turned away from the scene, hearing enough. Was this a memory? It certainly seemed like a memory, but not his own. He knew it couldn't be Mickey's, or Rose's, so it had to Laila's. He slumped against the wall, thoughtful. If this was a memory, was this the reason why she thought he pitied her? Why she seemed so keen on leaving him and Rose to their devices when he clearly wanted her there? Because of Rose, his companion…_

_Dear God, he didn't even notice it! He figured Rose might have a small problem with Laila being onboard, given it was just the two of them before she and Mickey came along, but he didn't think it would escalate to this level._

_No wonder she wanted to leave the TARDIS, nothing but reminders of her past…_

"_Doctor!"_

_He blinked at the sound of his name and felt himself being pulled forwards…_

S.S

"Doctor!" Rose shouted, shaking him. He'd just gone into a trance, his eyes dimming slightly as he stared into the distance, "Doctor! Can you hear me?"

Suddenly the Doctor stood to his feet, "Huh?" he looked around, seeing that he was in the TARDIS, "W…what happened?"

"You…sort of went into this trance," Rose explained, standing up with him. He looked at her and she frowned as his eyes narrowed a bit, not a lot, but enough for her to notice, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shook his head, "Nothing," he swallowed and looked back at Laila, who was watching him silently.

"Fine," she murmured, loud enough for him to hear.

"What?" he questioned.

"I said 'Fine,'" she repeated, wincing as she stood, "I won't leave…" he smiled at that, "But don't say I didn't warn you…"

He didn't respond to that and watched as she walked away from him and Rose and up the stairs before disappearing around the corner. Rose looked at him, "I thought I wouldn't see you again…" she smiled.

"Rose," he began and she frowned at him, "Do you have an issue with Laila?" he took careful notice to her taken aback expression, "Because I won't let you hurt her," he glanced up the staircase where the Time Lady disappeared, "I won't let anyone hurt her," he smiled, "Reinette…she said it….she saw it…she told me I'd realize it one day..." his eyes softened, "And I think that day is today."

Rose stared at him, her expression blank, silently fuming on the inside, as he walked up the staircase to the console. She knew _exactly_ what he was talking about, and it hurt, that it was directed towards that woman instead of _her_. She probably, no she _knew_, that she told the Doctor about the things she said, there was no other explanation for how he could've known. There was probably some kind of Time Lord connection-thingy that let her tell him without letting anyone else know she was doing it, which justified his trance-like state earlier.

Whatever the case was, she knew it was time for a different approach to this little game of cat and mouse…

S.S

Now we know what Laila is: A Healer! An ancient race of Time Lords who killed themselves in their battle for supremacy. I hope I answered your questions in this chapter regarding Laila, a couple of her powers, who she is, etc.

Who else awed at the Doctor trying to keep Laila onboard and his defense against her to Rose. While I was typing that out all I could think about was how that was a perfect moment for him to tell her how he feels about her. You all think _that's_ the biggest thing he's realized so far, ha! There's something even larger that he has realized at the end of the chapter, which we'll be finding out about in Doomsday and the whole memory scene will be explained too.

I could have had Rose be more understanding here but I just felt like combining almost losing the Doctor, and when she reunited with him that he didn't pay a lick of attention to her, instead focusing on Laila, who she already disliked enough made it hard for her to think about anything else other than it was Laila's fault for pushing the Doctor further away from her, again. Such a child…but do you all think that Laila was the one to show the Doctor what Rose said? Even though I said she didn't, I just want to know your opinion on that particular accusation.

Four reviews, awesome!

Mionerocks: We all want to slap Rose at this point.

Time-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: Yes, I do have a pairing name, but you won't find out what it is until we find out Laila's name. Yeah, Laila's not useless, she'll actually save the day on more than one occasion ;)

KatietheBaka: Have you reviewed this story before? If not, welcome! If so, welcome back! Cool theory about the title, but unfortunately that's not the reason why it's called The Seventh Word.

The Inquirer: I would definately cry, because I'm sensitive to that sort of thing.


	25. Lingering Thoughts

Here is the original chapter you've all been waiting for where we find out more on how Laila feels about the Doctor along with some other stuff. This will be a lot different from the regular episode chapters considering this wasn't actually a part of the show and it will probably be less than 3,000-5,000 words, and it won't showcase some large adventure where someone needs rescuing.

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Chapter 25: Lingering Thoughts

* * *

Closing the door behind her, Laila stepped foot into her fortress of technology, or her room for lack of better words. She threw herself onto her bed, shifting until she was facing the ceiling. Today was hectic and honestly she hadn't been so afraid in her life. It was like there was this numb sensation that just took hold of her and wouldn't let her go until she saw the Doctor was safe in the TARDIS. The feeling had seemed to have grown stronger since they met that night in the Torchwood manor as well as…others…

She thought back to their small banter, which really wasn't an argument at all, and the way he appeared to be desperate to keep her in the TARDIS. No one she knew of so far, except Mickey, had ever shown her that kind of care and consideration. It made her question if it was genuine, real…or if perhaps she had only been imagining things. That what he said wasn't really what he said and the way he gazed at her with affection in his eyes was also a part of her imagination…

She felt odd thinking about that, the way he looked at her, soft eyes, tender smile. It was a bit overwhelming, really, but nice, she had to admit. It made her feel a little special, just a little…

It was hard for her to believe that it really happened, given that it was only time it had happened. No one bothered to speak to her on Gallifrey, as she kept to the shadows, making sure to obey the command of the High Council and her parents to not draw attention to herself. She hardly paid attention to the rest of the Time Lords, so as not to feel any concern towards them. The complete opposite of what she really was, her grandmother had told her.

The Doctor recognized the same quality in her, that caring aspect, which was probably why he was so keen on proving her wrong….which she was still doubtful of. She was positive that none of the Healer's knew that they would turn out to be…murderer's…that they would remain forever pure to violence…maybe being on the receiving end but never the punisher. She didn't want to believe that one day she might wake up and take away the lives of people, creatures, looking into their dead eyes with no regret as the Healer's once did. She didn't want that to become a reality, but then again she had to keep an open-mind about it, and not be ignorant.

"_And you've been fighting it! That's the one thing the Healer's didn't do, and if they did, they did a poor job at it. But look at you! You've come this far and you're still…you. Laila….you're still you. They lost themselves in the road to power but you stayed the same, you fought it, you didn't want to be like them and guess what…you're not. I don't think you'll ever be."_

She still wasn't sure why he thought that, why he held onto it, he didn't know…

"_There's nothing you can say or do, or anyone else for that matter, that would make me think that you're less than amazing…so…please…Don't leave…"_

She sniffed, not sure why she felt a little teary-eyed. Why did he tell her those things? What other purpose did they serve other than to keep her in the TARDIS? Why couldn't he let her go? Why? Why? Why?

That was the more logical part of her, the side that wanted answers, answers, answers…

The other side of her couldn't help but feel like a little schoolgirl at his words, at his fond looks, his actions overall. She felt warm and for the first time since she learned of her heritage, free…but not completely, just a bit. She tried to deny it, pushing away the thoughts that plagued her mind the more he held her hand, the more protective he seemed over her. The way he got angry at Mr. Connolly for yelling at her during the whole Wire fiasco…she wanted to smile, not because he almost did something to the man, but because he was doing it for _her_. _No one_ had ever done that for _her_...

When he used his regeneration energy to heal her, she felt angry, sure, because it was an honest waste. Then again, she felt the warmth from it and once again she wanted to smile…

All she wanted to do was _smile_…something she hadn't done since her grandparents died. They were the only ones who really showed any kindness towards her, despite how the rest of her relatives didn't approve.

She could feel it, the effects of the War, her parents/family's treatment towards her, the loneliness…it was all fading away slowly, but surely, and it was all because of the Doctor.

She turned her head, her gaze landing on the officially completed project she'd been working on, and had Mickey assist in when he was around, and she smiled.

S.S

The Doctor moved around the console, looking at the monitor intensely, a look of concentration on his face, "Doctor," he turned his head to see Laila walking down the staircase, her hands hidden behind her back.

"Oh," he smiled, "I thought you'd be off to bed," he twisted himself so he was leaning against the console, fully facing the Time Lady, "What can I do you for?" he took notice to the rather…nice…smile on her face, and the excitement in her eyes, "What is it?"

She just continued to smile before holding out a neatly wrapped present in front of her, "Here," she said, "I made this for you."

He stared at the box, pleasantly surprised, "Wow," he grinned, taking it out of her hands, "What is it? No, don't tell me…." she raised an eyebrow, "No, do tell me," she opened her mouth, "No, don't tell me."

"Ok, why don't you just open it," she said and watched silently as he unwrapped the gift, surprisingly not ripping the decorations she specifically chose for it, and stared at high-tech box inside.

"What is this?" he asked, not able to keep the smile off his face. He wasn't really one for surprises, mostly those that involved dangerous situations, but he didn't mind this at all.

"Here," she pulled out her other hand, revealing a key in the palm of it.

He removed it from her hand, holding it gently as to not drop it, before he inserted it into the lock on the box. He twisted the key, hearing the click, and then opened the lid…

His mouth dropped open.

"I knew you'd like it," she said, moving to stand near him, "It's a multi-use care kit, it can be used to track something you've lost," she pressed a button the device and a spherical hologram of the Earth popped up, "You can change the coordinates later. It can also be used to," she pressed another button, revealing a hidden department underneath the lid, "Repair things, such as your sonic screwdriver, those things can easily be broken for some reason," she shrugged and went on, pulling on the small lever in the corner, "It can also transform into something inconspicuous, like a pen or something…" she looked up at the Doctor, seeing him taking it all in, "There are other things but I'm sure you'll figure it out. I…just wanted to thank you for taking me along with you and Rose."

"These were a hit on Gallifrey," the Doctor remarked and then blinked, his eyes widening, "No…" she just stared at him as he laughed, "You're the unknown creator," he walked up to her, "All of those BRILLIANT creations used on Gallifrey, that millions across the universe used, those were all _your_ ideas! The geographical plain divider! That stopped a war between the Calaiz and their brothers the Laerz, you know?"

Laila shook her head, "Yeah, my ideas…but I…I never got to make any of them. I might've created what was necessary to keep them going, but other people, people who could show who _they_ really were, took them to another level," she blinked and frowned, "I just wanted to make one thing that my way," she smiled, "I hope you like it, Doctor."

She turned and walked back up the stairs, leaving the Doctor gazing after her, a thoughtful look on his face.

S.S

Now we know how Laila feels about the Doctor, or at least how a part of her feels, which is a little similar to how the Doctor feels about her, just so sweet. She hasn't completely fallen for him yet, though, just keep that in mind.

Man, not only did they take away her rights to live a normal Time Lord life, but they took her ideas as well! That's pretty messed up, but you'll see the Doctor do something about it, maybe not here, but at some point in this series.

I know what you all are likely thinking, the Doctor is going to lose the care-kit, well, hold onto your money before you bet on it, because I told you all there would be a change after Laila's reveal. There was a hint of it in this chapter, can you tell me what it is?


	26. Army of Ghost: Global Spirits

For the narrative Rose, just to give you all a heads up, she'll be in regular print while the past events she goes through will be in the regular flashback form, italics.

* * *

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Army of Ghost

Chapter 26: Global Spirits

* * *

"Planet Earth," Rose narrated, "This is where I was born. And this is where I died."

S.S

_Teenage Rose sat on a bus, bored and glum, as it pulled to a stop. _

"For the first nineteen years of my life, nothing happened," she continued to narrate, "Nothing at all."

_The bus pulled away._

"Not ever."

_She sighed and leaned her forehead against the window, silently hoping for an exciting turn in her life, and popped another chip in her mouth._

"And then I met a man called the Doctor," there was a smile in her tone.

S.S

_The ninth Doctor grabbed Rose's hand, "Run," he told her before they ran._

S.S

_The tenth Doctor pranced around the TARDIS control panel, pressing buttons and pulling levers, full of energy and enthusiasm._

"A man who could change his face," she stated, "And he took me away from home in his magical machine."

_He spun around, "Ha!" he grinned triumphantly, his arms wide in glee._

"Then _she_ came along…." there was an obvious sneer in her voice, "Somehow, someway, she changed me and the Doctor's relationship. Suddenly it became all about _her_….Laila this…Laila that…where is Laila? God…"

S.S

_The Doctor, Rose, and Laila walked down a random street, the Doctor holding onto the Time Lady's hand as they talked animatedly about something space-y. Rose glanced at the duo, adding in her two cents every now and again, but mostly kept quiet…and silently sending conspicuous glares to Laila when the Doctor's back was turned. _

"He showed me the whole of time and space," there was a hint of sadness in her tone, "I thought it would never end. I thought perhaps I'd stick around long enough and it would just be me and him again, I learned that lesson the hard way," silence, "I didn't realize how much time I wasted doing absolutely _nothing_."

S.S

_The Doctor, Rose, and Laila were standing a short ways away from the TARDIS on a rocky alien terrain, looking out into the sunset. The Doctor kept sneaking glances at Laila, watching as the colors danced across her features. Rose silently gritted her teeth at the awed look that appeared his eyes before he turned his head just as the Time Lady looked towards them. _

_He cleared his throat, before letting another smile grace his face as he focused on Rose, "How long are you going to stay with me?" he questioned._

_Rose looked at him, "Forever," she said, truthfully, and smiled at how his got a little wider. _

S.S

"That's what I thought," Rose continued as she stood on a desolate beach, looking out to the sea, "But then came the army of ghost. Then came Torchwood and the War. And that's when it all ended," she swallowed, "This is the story of how I died."

S.S

The TARDIS materialized in a children's play area and Rose stepped out of the box holding a large red rucksack, slung onto her back. The Doctor followed out with Laila behind him, and they set off towards the flats on the Powell Estate with a slight spring in their steps, obviously at peace with the world…at the moment.

S.S

Jackie was doing the washing up when she heard Rose calling from outside the front door, "Mum, it's us!" she called in a sing-song, "We're ba-ck!"

She smiled excitedly and hurried towards the sitting room just as the door opened and the trio entered, "Oh, I don't know why you bother with that phone!" she commented, "You never use it!"

Rose just laughed, "Shut up, come here!" she threw her arms around her mother in a hug, the woman returning it tightly.

"Oh," Jackie grinned, "I love you!"

"I love you!" she smiled.

"I love you so MUCH!" Laila smiled a little at the scene, finding it sweet, and watched as the Doctor tried to squeeze past the two women, but Jackie spotted him first, "Oh no you don't. Come here!" she grabbed him and planted one on him before he could protest, then pulled away, "Oh, you lovely big fella! Oh you're all mine!"

"Just…just…put me down!" he stuttered, desperately trying to get out of her grasp.

"Yes, you are!" she grinned and kissed him again, then looked behind him, "Oh, there you are!" she moved around him and pulled Laila into a hug, "How are you, dear?"

The last time they were there, and the first time she met Laila, the girl had been in near tears over Mickey's departure plus something else she wouldn't mention and it just broke her hearts, and she didn't even know her! After Rose had settled down, for she was just as upset, she offered both women some tea and immediately noticed the tension between the two. Of the phone calls she had received from her daughter, few in number, she never forgot to complain about the woman, making her out to be a horrible person.

Then she got to sit down with Laila and though she herself wasn't the smartest tool in the box, it didn't take long for her to realize her daughter was just being…Rose. She could tell the Doctor cared for the woman, who was just like him, a…Time Lord…Lady…whatever they call themselves and it clearly bothered her daughter. She didn't like it when Rose was upset, and never really did, but this was something she hardly ever experienced: Jealousy. It was something she would have to conquer herself…

"I'm fine, Jackie," Laila smiled, "I could ask the same about you."

"Oh," she waved her off, "Alright, maybe a bit better if _someone_ would call once in a while!" Rose rolled her eyes at that before moving into the sitting room, Jackie following a moment later.

"Ugh…" the Doctor wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Laila peered at him and chuckled at his disgusted expression, "That's not funny…"

"It kind of is," she countered before walking into the sitting room.

The Doctor watched her silently, noting her happier mood, and grinned knowing he had something to do with it. What else could it be? Though, he did notice the slightly tenser moments she had, especially when they were by themselves after she gave him his present, which was a highlight of his life if he had to say so, not her being tense, but the present, he loved it. He learned a lot about the Time Lady over the time she'd been in the TARDIS, and what amazed him was that she never asked anything in return. That when she was upset, she would just stay quiet, and not scream like some. She knew when he needed comfort, just like he knew when she needed it. What _really_ shocked him though, was how with everything that he did, subjecting their entire race, her FAMILY, his FAMILY, to death…ignoring her…reminding her of her past troubles through his own actions, which he still felt guilty about…overall just hurting her….she never left. She stayed with him in the TARDIS when she could've just easily left...weeelll…he would've tried to stop her, of course, but there was that part of him that said she would be better off without him.

She was stronger than she thought and he could see that, so what did she need him for?

Shaking his head of the depressing thought, he walked into the sitting room with the others, sitting next to Laila on the sofa, "I've got LOADS of washing for ya!" Rose took the sack off her back and dumped it in Jackie's arms as he came in, "And…I got you this!" she pulled out a tiny ornate bottle with a wide grin, 'It's from the market on this asteroid bazaar. It's made of um…" she turned to the Doctor, frowning a little seeing the proximity between him and Laila on the couch, "What's it called?"

"Bezoolium," he answered, picking up another magazine that was lying on the table.

"Bezoolium," she nodded, looking back at Jackie, "When it gets cold, yeah, it means it's gonna rain…when it's hot, it's gonna be sunny! You can use it to tell the weather!"

"I've got a surprise for you all," Jackie smiled, looking between the three.

"Oh," Rose shook her head, "I get her bezoolium…she doesn't even say 'thanks'."

"Guess who's coming to visit?" she continued, "You're just in time…he'll be here at ten past! Who do you think is?"

"I don't know," she shrugged.

"Oh go on, guess!"

"No, I hate guessing. Just tell me."

"It's your granddad," Jackie revealed, "Granddad Prentice. He's on his way. Any minute!" Rose stared at her oddly, "Right, cup of tea!" she turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

"She's gone mad," Rose blinked, stunned.

"Tell me something new," the Doctor remarked, walking up next to her.

"Granddad Prentice…that's her dad," she explained, "That's her dad. But he died like, ten years ago. Oh my God," she shook her head, "She's lost it," then she looked up towards the kitchen, "Mum?"

S.S

Rose, the Doctor, and Laila stood in the kitchen doorway, all with concerned expressions on their face, "What you just said about granddad…" Rose trailed.

"Any second now," Jackie smiled, clearly not seeing the problem with the situation.

"But…" she sighed, thinking about how to word it, "He passes away. His heart gave out. Do you remember that?"

"Course I do!"

The Doctor and Laila cast a glance at each other as Rose's frown deepened, "…Then how can he come back?" she asked.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jackie told her, then looked down at her watch, "Ten past. Here he comes."

The trio stood in shock as a figure, out of nowhere, stepped into the middle of the kitchen. Its features were bare, like a shadow, but it definitely had a human shape about it. It stood beside Jackie.

"Here we are then," she nodded as the Doctor and Rose stood, dumbstruck, and Laila with a thoughtful aura, "Dad…say hello to Rose. Ain't she grown?"

S.S

The Doctor, Rose, and Laila burst out of a side-door of the block of flats and came to a halt, looking around them, "They're everywhere!" the Doctor blinked. Surely enough, the figures were all around, standing just like ordinary people. No one seemed to be remotely alarmed by their presence. They watched as a group of boys carried on with their ball game as normal.

"Doctor, look out!" Rose shouted just as a ghost walked right through the Time Lord, causing him a moment of discomfort but no pain.

Laila stared at the figures, still pondering, "Hmm…" she mumbled and shook her head, "No, that's impossible…" she frowned, "But then again it could be possible…"

"They haven't got long," Jackie remarked, joining them, "Midday shift only lasts a couple of minutes. They're about to fade."

"What do you mean, SHIFT?" the Doctor rounded on her, "Since when did ghost have shifts? Since when did shifts have ghosts? What's going on?"

"Oh, he's not happy when I know more than him, is he?" she raised an eyebrow.

"But no one's running or screaming or freaking out or…" he trailed, completely baffled, and looked towards Laila to see she was twisting around, staring at all the ghosts with her thinking face on.

"Why should we?" Jackie countered, bringing his attention to her, watching as she checked her watch again, "Here we go. Twelve minutes past."

Laila glanced at her for a moment then towards the Doctor, "I think I….I…" she gasped and grunted, falling forwards on her knees, her eyes clenched shut in pain.

"Laila!" the Doctor ran over to her, kneeling down next to her, "What's wrong?! What's going on?!" he did a quick check over her, seeing no injuries visible. As much as she didn't like seeing other people hurt, including him, just the sight of her in pain…pained him.

"Hm, there…there…" she winced, gritting her teeth, "There's the proof, oh god this hurts…the…the seals of time are being opened," she swallowed, taking a deep breath, "Millions of years ago, when the Healers were…were still around…there was battle of Time, not like the one on Gallifrey, actually it was worst…time actually started to stretch and tear. The Healers won, of course," she panted, taking another deep breath, "and they sealed the holes, linking them to time itself. Something…something…is coming and I don't know if it's good or bad," she tried to smile, "Sorry…"

The Doctor just pulled her towards him a little closer, letting her rest her head on him while she regained her breath. Jackie watched the scene for a moment, noting the way he was caring for her, holding her, and let a smile grace her face, and then took a look at her daughter, who was frowning and rolling her eyes. She turned her head, moving over to help a bit as the Doctor helped Laila up, his arm wrapped around her middle, "Come on, dear," she spoke, "A good cuppa will do you some good."

"Thank you," Laila smiled a little, happy to know they cared about her.

Rose stared at the trio, an annoyed look on her face. Even her own mother seemed to be falling for the Time Lady's obviously _fake_ charm! First the Doctor, then Mickey, and now her own flesh and blood! Who else was this woman going to take from her?!

Mumbling something incoherent, she followed them back into the flat.

S.S

The Doctor sat on the floor, next to Laila, in front of Jackie's television while the woman herself was sitting on the sofa and Rose perched on the arm. They were watching a program called 'Ghostwatch', a channel dedicated to the ghost, "On today's Ghostwatch, claims that some of the ghosts are starting to talk," a presenter started up the show, "And there seems to be a regular formation gathering around Westminster Bridge," the footage cut to the area, revealing several figures milling around, "It's almost like a military display…"

"What the hell's going on?" the Doctor furrowed his brow, "What could be so powerful enough that it can break through time? Space?"

"Whatever it is…" Laila murmured, still a little weary, "It can't be good, we can't be for sure, but still….better safe than sorry."

He looked at her, a small smile on his face as he placed his hand on hers, giving it a small squeeze before he turned back to the TV set and changed the channel to what appeared to be a weather report…but instead the normal weather symbols, there were little pictures of ghosts on the map of the UK, "And tonight we're expecting very strong ghosts," the weatherman announced, "From London, through the North and up into Scotland."

He switched the station again and it turned over to the Trisha Goddard chat show, the caption at the bottom reading "I married a dead man!"

"So basically, Eileen," Trisha began, "What you're telling me is that you are in love with a ghost."

Eileen, who was sitting in front of the studio with the ghost in question hovering by the other chair, nodded, "He's MY ghost and I love him, 24/7!"

The crowd applauded with approval. The Doctor shook his head and changed the channel to a drama of some sort, "Well, no one needs me anymore!" the male character proclaimed.

"Hm," Laila frowned. Whatever these ghosts were, good or bad, they had obviously manifested themselves into human life. What upset her was how easily the humans were accepting the whole situation.

"My ghost was pale and grey until I discovered…Ectoshine!"

She blinked and turned her attention back towards the TV where a woman in a flowery apron was addressing the camera in her kitchen while a solemnly animated ghost hovered around the worktop. She glanced at the Doctor to see an odd look on his face as well before he switched the channel once more to a French news station.

"Et le President d'aujourd'hui," the newsreader spoke, "quelle est…"

The footage then cut to a viewing of ghost wandering around the Eiffel tower, then to a Indian news report, the Taj Mahal, and then to an enthusiastic Japanese newsreader. The Doctor groaned, putting his head in his hands.

"Oh, yes!" Jackie cheered as the screen cut to show three excited Japanese girls, all screeching wildly and showing off their ghost t-shirts.

"It's all over the world," the Doctor noted, starting to feel the same concern Laila felt.

"Listen to me, Denn Watts," a woman, Peggy Mitchell, said to a ghost, "I don't care if you HAVE come back from the grave. Get out of my pub! The only spirits I'm serving in this place are gin, whisky and vodka. So, you heard me…GET OUT!"

Shaking his head, the Doctor switched off the television set and turned towards Jackie, "When did it start?" he asked.

"Well first of all, Peggy heard this noise in the cellar," Jackie explained, "So she goes down…"

"No, I mean worldwide," he interrupted and Rose smirked.

"Oh!" she nodded, "That was about two months ago. Just happened. Woke up one morning, and there they all were…ghosts, everywhere. We all ran 'round screaming and that, whole planet was panicking…no sign of YOU, thank you very much…" he winced, "Then it sort of sank in. Took us time to realize that…we're lucky."

"What makes you think it's granddad?" Rose questioned.

"Just feels like him," she shrugged, "There's that small, these old cigarettes. Can't you smell it?"

"I wish I could, mum," she said gently, "but I can't."

"You've got to make an effort," Jackie said, "You've got to WANT it, sweetheart."

"The more you want it, the stronger it gets?" the Doctor asked.

"Sort of," she nodded, "Yeah."

"Like a psychic link," he nodded, "Course you want your old dad to be alive, but you're wishing him into existence. The ghosts are using that to pull themselves in."

"You're spoiling it," she frowned.

"I'm sorry, Jackie," he smiled sadly, "But there's no smell, there's no cigarettes. Just a memory," he felt a squeeze on his hand and he smiled a little a Laila.

"But if they're not ghosts," Rose thought, trying not to think about how…sweet…they were being to each other, "What are they, then?"

"Yeah, but they're human!" Jackie argued, "You can see them…they LOOK human!"

"She's got a point," she nodded, agreeing, "I mean they're all sort of blurred, but they're definitely people."

"Perhaps," Laila said, making them look at her, "But like I said before, something is coming through," she shook her head.

"They're pressing themselves into the surface of the world," the Doctor added, "But a footprint doesn't look like a boot," he stood to his feet.

S.S

Well, I think this is the shortest 3,000 word chapter I've done so far, but I wanted to save what happens to Martha's cousin, Adeola, and that other guy, Gareth until the next chapter.

Who enjoyed the scene where the Doctor helped Laila? And what about Jackie, why can't Rose be like that?

Guess what?! This story will officially be completely on the 2nd of November, one day before my birthday! I'll be 17 years of age, how awesome is that? Time flies man…

Seven more reviews and I'll make it to 100 reviews, which is pretty spectacular for a first time story, don't you think?

Mionerocks: Thank you

The Inquirer: Yep, sounds just like Rosie to do such a thing, and she'll definitely be unhappy, especially with the Doctor's response to her confession ;)

Jedimasterstar: Well, I'm happy that you like it so far, and my OC. Yes, she better….


	27. Army of Ghost: Shift

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Army of Ghost

Chapter 26: Shift

* * *

A well-dressed woman, Yvonne, walked out of her office and up to another young lady's, Adeola, desk, "So, what've we got?" she asked, "Any sign of that power loss?"

"There's no problems," Adeola smiled, "Must've been a glitch."

Yvonne nodded, and then spoke into her communication device, "Rajesh?" she called, "You got anything?"

"It's _so_ busy down here," Rajesh responded sarcastically, "I'm on Sudoku book 509."

"Well, we just had a great ghost shift."

"I know. We had nothing."

S.S

Rajesh put down the puzzle book and pulled his glasses off before standing, "Did they tell you?" he asked, adjusting the controls on a nearby panel, "RND came up with a new spectrometer yesterday. Barged in here, all full of themselves…" he walked across the large chamber-like room, examining various instruments scattered across the floor, "Said they could detect the heat off a single protozoa through half a mile of steel."

"And what did they find?" Yvonne questioned.

"Nothing," he said, "It gave them nothing. Same as ever. The machines keep saying the sphere can't exist. But there it is," he peered up at the enormous, bronze, sphere suspended eerily in the mid-air at the end of the chamber.

"Anything we can do?"

"No, I'm all right," he shook his head, despite her not being able to see it, "It's just…gets into your head, this thing. Like it's….staring at you."

"All right," she gave a small laugh, "We'll catch up later. Thanks, Raj."

"Yeah," cutting off the communication, he moved closer to the sphere and climbed up the small ladder to get even closer. He stretched out and tried to place his hand on the bottom of it, only for it to force his hand back, as though there was an invisible barrier preventing him from doing so.

S.S

Yvonne approached a young man sitting at one of the computer station, "Matt?" she called, "Send Rajesh something, would you? He's going mad down there. Not alcohol," she turned and went back into her office. A woman approached Adeola and handed her a print. Adeola smiled at her then placed them into a file, and then glanced over at Gareth, who was sitting adjacent to her and typed a coupled of words into the instant message she had on her computer.

"_god I'm bored."_

Gareth's computer bleeped, shocking him for a moment, as he received the message. He looked over at her and they both smiled cheekily at each other. He turned his head and began to tap at his keys…

"_me too yawn."_

Adeola's computer pinged and she typed…

"_fancy a coffee?"_

"_Thought u never ask __"_

Adeola grinned at the message. Gareth stood up from his seat and approached Yvonne, who was chatting with two other members of staff, "Yvonne?" he called and she looked up at him, "I'm gonna double check the stats…just in case."

"Sure," she nodded. He left and Adeola came up next.

"Yvonne, I'm gonna go and cross reference the levels with the sphere," she said.

"Okay," Yvonne blinked, "Fine," she watched as she left before turning to back to the others, "And they think we haven't noticed," they laughed and then went about their way.

S.S

Gareth pulled Adeola down a deserted corridor with a revamped design. Plastic curtains sectioned a part of it off, "Come on…" he looked around, "It'll be all right down here. Just two minutes."

"This is out of bounds," Adeola said uneasily.

"Yeah," he nodded, "And that's the point! It's completely safe. They're just building new offices."

"What about the workmen?"

He looked around again, not seeing the men in sight, "They must be allocated somewhere else," he shrugged.

"It's not worth it for a snog," she shook her head.

"It is," he laughed and took her hand, trying to drag her through the plastic curtains, "Come on…!" Adeola smiled at him a bit reluctantly and he let go of her hand, "Tssk!" he shook his head and disappeared through the curtains along. Two workmen walked by, carrying a ladder. She waved casually at them, trying to look as if she was supposed to be there. After she was sure they were gone, she turned towards the curtains…

"Gareth?" she called in an audible whisper, pressing up against the curtain, "Now don't be daft, where've you gone?" there was no reply, "Gareth? Look, I'm gonna head back, I'm seeing you tonight anyway…Gareth?" again, nothing, so she tentatively walked through, "I'm going back to work," she pushed further into the plastic drapes, moving them aside, "This is it…I'm going….see ya…" she stopped, hearing no answer once again, "Now stop it, Gareth! I'm not kidding, just stop it!"

She turned and spotted a shadowy figure on the other side of the blinds, "Sorry, I'm just looking for my friend…" she quickly said, "Did anyone come down here?"

The figure gave no reply, so she pulled the curtain back to reveal a Cyberman, who began to advance. She screamed.

S.S

Rose, holding a newspaper, strode into the TARDIS where the Doctor was wedged underneath the console, "According to the paper, they've elected a ghost for MP for Leeds," she stated, peering down at him, "Now don't tell me you're gonna sit back and do nothing."

The Doctor popped up from the beneath the grilling, bopping his head insanely and accompanied by the tune from the Ghostbusters theme. He was holding an odd looking device in one hand and wearink a rucksack on his back, "Who're you gonna call?" he asked.

Rose laughed at his antics, "Ghostbusters!" she grinned.

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts," he said in a Scooby-doo voice, nodding his head to the tune as he left the TARDIS. Rose followed him, giggling.

S.S

Jackie and Laila stood outside waiting for the two to come out. Laila looked around for a moment, shivering a little, which made Jackie frown, "You ok?" she asked.

Laila smiled at her, "Yeah," she nodded, "It's just an effect of whatever is going on I suppose. It doesn't bother me," she held up her façade until the woman turned her head, and she dropped her smile, biting her lip in thought.

Hearing laughter, she looked up to see the Doctor and Rose exiting the TARDIS, all grins. She couldn't help but smile herself before she lowered her gaze, staring at a patch of grass on the ground, going back into her thoughts. She didn't notice when the Doctor took notice to her slightly tensed posture and frowned, his brow furrowing in concern.

"When's the next shift?" he asked, his eyes slowly sliding over to Jackie as he arranged three traffic cones in a triangular shape.

"Quarter to," Jackie said, checking her watch, "But don't go causing trouble. What's that lot do?" she gestured towards the equipment.

"Triangulates their point of origin," he responded.

"I don't suppose it's the Gelth?" Rose guessed.

"Nah," he shook his head and she nodded, as though that was the answer she was expecting, "They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet. Like tracing paper."

"You're always doing this," Jackie remarked crossly, "Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real?" Laila's eyes snapped to her while the Doctor continued to work, "Just think of it, though…all the people we've lost…our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?"

The Doctor paused and turned his head, meeting her eyes for the first time, "I think it's horrific," he stated, shocking her into silence. Laila glanced at him and him at her. She smiled to show that she understood where he was coming from, and then looked at Jackie.

"Jackie," she started, making the woman look at her, "Imagine this: If no one died, or nearly died, how would you know how much you love them?" Jackie blinked, a bit surprised by the question, "It's strange how death tells us that. Throughout life you say 'I love you' and how much you care, but you really aren't telling the complete truth…because you don't really know. Our love is limited until one dies, then it's revealed…" she sighed, "Pain, Life is a pain for some people and for other's it could be a blessing. Not everyone deserves to die, not everyone deserved to die, but imagine the pain some went through, bed-ridden diseases and such…death was a blessing to them, and would be to those in the future, because now the pain is gone," she blinked, "I guess it depends on who it is thought."

She turned and caught the Doctor's gaze, his eyes wavering with a hidden emotion before he closed them and looked away, "Rose, give us a hand," he spoke as he started to unwind the cable, leading it into the the TARDIS, Rose walking in after him.

S.S

The Doctor plugged the cable into the console, his eyes lowered. He didn't know why, but thinking about what Laila said…it…it hurt. Not about love, but the pain of life. He could see the slight shift in her posture when she began to speak about it, how downcast she became. Did she think her life was a pain? He would hope not, because he had plenty of reasons already why it wasn't...some of which he would hope to get to talk to her about once they figured out the whole ghost situation. He could feel his hearts beat a little faster thinking about it.

"Doctor?"

He blinked and looked to see Rose staring at him, an odd expression on her face, "Huh?" she motioned towards the cable, "Oh! Sorry…um…As soon as it becomes activated, if that line goes red," he pointed at it, "Press that button there," then at that, "If it doesn't stop…" he brandished the sonic screwdriver under her nose and she went a little cross-eyed trying to focus on it, "Setting 15B, hold it against the port, eight seconds and stop."

"15B," she nodded, "Eight seconds."

"If it goes into the blue, activate the deep scan on the left," he was about to show her when she stopped him.

"Hang on a minute," she said, "I know…" she leaned over the console and pointed out a button, "It's that one."

"Mm, close."

"That one?" she gestured towards another one.

"Nnnnow you've just killed us," he said seriously.

Rose just giggled at his expression and neither noticed the look Jackie sent towards them.

"Eh…that one," she tried again and he nodded.

"Yeah!" he smiled, "Now, what've we got? Two minutes to go?" he looked over at Jackie, who checked her watch.

S.S

Yvonne emerged from her office, addressing the staff scattered in the room, "Two minutes to the next shift," she announced, "Let's make it a good one, people," she turned as Adeola entered to room, "Come on, you two.

"I'm sorry we're late," Adeola said in a primly manner.

"Save it 'til later," she waved her off.

"Sorry we're late," Gareth repeated as he entered the room in the same was Adeola did.

"And powering up," Yvonne spoke, not paying attention the couple.

The scientist pulled the levers on the sides upwards, beginning the shift. Adeola and Gareth turned to their computers, their ear pieces bleeping quietly, their faces stoic blank.

S.S

Rose plunged the sonic screwdriver into a port on the console, looking back out the door where the Doctor stood with Laila. She frowned seeing how close they were standing to each other. Was it really necessary to stand _that_ close? They were right there next to each other for crying out loud!

S.S

The Doctor watched as Laila pressed the device he was holding onto earlier onto one of the cones, proceeding to do the same to the other two, "What's the line doing?" he shouted through the open doors to Rose.

S.S

"It's all right, its holding!" Rose yelled back.

"You even look like him," Jackie commented.

She didn't look at her, "How d'you mean?" she smiled, realizing what she meant, "I s'pose I do, yeah."

Jackie shook her head, "You've changed so much," she said. It could've been easier to say what she assumed the Doctor hadn't told her daughter yet, that he wasn't interested in her like she was in him….but it wasn't her place.

"For the better…" Rose said.

"I s'pose," she whispered, not truly believing that.

"Mum, I used to work in a SHOP," she turned to her.

"I've worked in shops," she countered defensively, "What's wrong with that?"

"No," she shook her head, "I didn't mean that."

"I know what you meant. What happens when I'm gone?"

"Don't talk like that!" Rose nearly-shouted, taken aback. What was bringing on all of this?

"No, but really," Jackie said, a serious note in her tone, "When I'm dead and buried, you won't have any reason to come back home. What happens then?"

She stared at her mother, "I don't know," she responded quietly.

"Do you think you'll ever settle down?"

"The Doctor never will, so I can't," she frowned, "I'll just keep on travelling."

"And you'll keep on changing. And in forty years time, fifty, there'll be this woman…this strange woman…walking through the marketplace on some planet a billion miles from Earth. She's not Rose Tyler. Not anymore. She's not even human…"

"Rose?" the Doctor shouted, breaking the moment.

Rose twisted around, her back facing Jackie now, obviously hurt, "The scanner's working," she yelled back, "It says 'delta one six"."

S.S

Laila stood up, stepping back next to the Doctor as they faced the centre of the triangle, "Come on you beauty!" the Doctor grinned and started to cackle, positively jiggling with anticipation. He glanced at Laila to see her had her back turned to him, her hand over her mouth. He tilted his head to see a smile behind her face, her hand up as to not laugh at his antics. She saw him looking at her and a small giggle escaped her lips, igniting a full on smile to bloom across his face.

"Leave me alone," she averted her eyes, going into a semi-serious state. She was pouting a little, something he found all _too_ cute…

S.S

The scientist pulled the levers down even further, causing the light shining around the room to brighten. Yvonne sauntered forwards, pulling on a pair of sunglasses, "And…" she said, "We're into Ghost Shift."

"Online," the computer announced.

S.S

The Doctor and Laila watched the triangle as a ghost materialized within the centre. As it did so, the cones surrounding it connected with blue electricity, which in turn connected over the top of the ghost, trapping it in an electric pyramid. Rose and Jack watched the scene from inside the TARDIS on the monitor with amazement.

The Doctor put on a pair of 3D glasses and watched the ghost. He then bent down and adjusted a setting on the equipment, which caused a green light bulb to turn on, which led to…

S.S

An alarm went off at Torchwood, causing everyone to look around in confusion. Yvonne hurried over towards Matt's computer, looking over his shoulder, "What've we got?" she asked.

"Something's interfering with the ghost field," Matt reported.

She frowned at that, "Location?"

"It's close…" he frowned, "It's within the city."

S.S

The Doctor continued to adjust the knob, making the ghost shudder and groan, "Don't like that much, do you?" he laughed and stopped seeing the look Laila was sending him, "Who are you? Where are you coming from? WHOA!" he stumbled back, receiving what seemed like an electric shock from the figure.

"Are you alright?" Laila asked, having caught what happened.

He smiled at her, "Fine, wonderful in fact," he looked back at the ghost, "That's more like it! Not so friendly NOW, are you?"

Laila eyed him for a second before turning towards the figure as well, another shiver running through her spine.

S.S

"Close it down," Yvonne ordered urgently, "Close it down!"

The scientist obeyed her demands and pulled the levers down, the light fading as they did so, "Offline," the computer stated.

S.S

The ghost continued to shudder and jerk within the Doctor's triangle. The Time Lord was smiling a bit before he glanced at Laila, seeing the odd look on her face, "Hey," he frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she shook her head, swallowing, "It's nothing…"

It was strange, but….it was almost like she could feel the ghost's pain just a little. She supposed it made sense, given it was still stuck in the Void, not completely on Earth but close, so the electricity wasn't just harming the figure but the hole it created, thus harming her.

The Doctor continued to stare at her for a moment and his eyes widened seeing the slight wince of pain on her face, "I'm…this is hurting you, isn't it?" he asked and she just shook her head, "Laila, look at me," she turned her head, smiling at him, "Is this hurting you?" he pointed towards the equipment.

"It doesn't hurt that much," she responded.

"But it's still hurting you, isn't it?" he frowned and looked away, already knowing the answer. How could he be such an idiot? She just finished explaining how the figures were connected to time, that they were forcing themselves through and here he was basically making it worse on her.

He shook his head of his thoughts, getting back to the matter at hands, and watched as the ghost disappeared. He heard Laila sigh a little in relief and he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them, feeling a hand slip through his.

"I'm fine, Doctor," Laila said, "It takes a whole lot more than that to really harm a Healer; it was more of an annoying pinch."

"It doesn't matter," he shook his head, not understanding why she seemed okay with it. He _certainly_ wasn't, "I just don't like seeing you _hurt_…" his eyes widened, realizing what he just said, and how it might've sounded like, "Um…I mean…"

Laila chuckled, "I got you," she nodded, "You don't really like seeing anyone hurt, do you?"

He closed his open mouth and blinked, "Yeah…yeah, I don't…" he nodded, knowing _that_ wasn't what he meant, but he wasn't about to say it, not now…

He averted his eyes and moved to begin gathering up the equipment.

S.S

Yvonne returned to Matt's desk as he tried to figure out the location of the interruption, "It was a very specific excitation of the ghost field," he explained, "And that makes it easy to pinpoint," an image of the globe appeared on the screen and he zoomed it in to the UK, and then London, "Almost there…South London," he zoomed in further, "South East 15," he furrowed his brow in confusion, "It's a council estate. The Powell Estate. SU15 7GO. It was a public area."

"Can we patch into the CCTV network?" Yvonne asked.

"Doing it now," he nodded.

S.S

A nearby security camera began to turn slowly, too late to catch the Doctor and Laila disappearing inside the TARDIS with the equipment in their arms.

S.S

Yvonne and Matt watched the CCTV footage on the computer screen, "Here we go," Matt said, "We've got a camera within fifty yards."

The camera slowly circled around the area and their eyes widened as the TARDIS was brought into frame. They stared at the image as if they'd seen it before, "….Oh my God," Yvonne breathed, stunned.

"Is it them?!" Matt questioned, zooming in closer to the box.

"It's them," Yvonne nodded and gasped, realizing something.

S.S

The Doctor dashed to the railing inside the TARDIS, throwing his coat over it, Laila following him up to the console, "I said so!" he grinned excitedly, "Those ghosts have been FORCED into existence for one specific point! And I can track down the source. Allons-Y!" he pulled down a lever, causing the TARDIS to shudder and he and Rose fell backwards onto the chair while Laila hung onto the railing, watching as the motor rose and fell.

S.S

I wonder if you all realized I skipped two episodes….because I did it for a reason. The Doctor didn't exactly find out what information Torchwood had on him, because I want to do something different. You know how they have a question about the Doctor that must never be answered? Well, there's going to be one for Laila too, BUT it will be answered…and that's all I can tell you…hehe…

Don't the Doctor and Laila seem a bit closer now? Hm, I wonder why, well…. at the some point in these last two episodes we're going to get a flashback of something that happened at the end of 'Fear Her'.

Four more reviews!

Mionerocks: Yes, yes she will go too far and thank you.

: Welcome to the story! When are they going to get together? I can't say when, it could be soon it could be later, but it is going to happen at some point in this series.

The Inquirer: I believe that Rose has a bit of a inferiority complex, in a way that she might just feel not-so-good about herself so she looks for the bad qualities in everyone else. The Doctor being the first out of few to make her feel special, in that sort of way, so to lose him to another woman angers her.

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: Thank you, I appreciate the thought. It's not my birthday yet, but I also appreciate the shout out. I would love to have a time machine, think of the possibilities ;)


	28. Army of Ghost: Torchwood

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Army of Ghost

Chapter 28: Torchwood

* * *

Yvonne and Matt watched as the TARDIS dematerialized and Yvonne stood to her feet, staring at the screen in disbelief, "He's coming," she breathed, wide-eyed, and then laughed and hurried from the room. Adeola glanced over at Gareth, a dark look in her eyes.

S.S

Yvonne ran down a corridor as fast as she could, excitement running through her veins, "Rajesh," she called into her comm., "It's THEM!"

S.S

Rajesh ran up the first few step leading up to the sphere, eyeing it, "Now we've got you," he whispered.

S.S

The Doctor twiddled with various knobs on the console, chattering away to himself, "I like that," he rambled, "'Allons-y'. I should say 'allons-y' more often. 'Allons-y'. Laila," he looked at her and grinned, "Allons-y!" she shook her head, "Watch out, Rose Tyler! Allons-y! And THEN, it would be really brilliant if I met someone called Allonzo. Because then I could say, 'Allons-y, Allonzo'! Every time!" he looked at the women, "You're both staring at me."

Rose just stood there for a moment, a strange smile on her face, "My mum's still on board," she said quietly enough so Jackie couldn't hear her, but surely enough the woman was sitting up in the gantries, her legs dangling off the edge.

"If we end up on Mars, I'm gonna kill you," Jackie remarked and crossed her arms. The Doctor stared up at at her, horrified, while Rose smirked at his expression.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor turned to see Laila standing by the monitor, a slightly worried expression on her face, "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, moving over to stand next to her. She pointed at the screen, showcasing where they had materialized and how a group of soldiers were surrounding the box, arms at hand, "Oh, well there goes the advantage of surprise. Still! Cuts to the chase," he twisted around and looked at Rose, "Stay in here, look after Jackie," then back to Laila, "Watch after them, ok?" and he saw she was about to protest, "Please…"

If there were soldiers, with guns, surrounding the TARDIS, with _guns_, then he would rather the Time Lady be in the box where it was safe, and not out there with the guns. Shaking his head of the thought, he turned and began to make his way towards the doors.

"I'm not looking after my mum!" Rose argued, trailing after him.

"Well, you brought her!" he countered.

"I was kidnapped!" Jackie put in her two cents, indignant.

Rose shook her head and pushed past the Time Lord, blocking his way out the door, "Doctor," she said warningly, "They've got guns."

"And I haven't," he nodded, "Which makes me the better person, don't you think?" he took her by the shoulders and moved her out the way, "They can shoot me dead, but the moral high-ground is mine," and with that, he opened the door and stepped through it, raising his hands as he faced the soldiers.

S.S

Laila bit her lip as the soldiers released the safety on their guns, all of them pointed at the Doctor. Rose and Jackie watched the scene play out as well from a crack through the door, remaining unseen. Yvonne hurried into the room, running towards the Doctor, "Oh…!" she grinned excitedly, "Oh, how marvelous," she clapped her hands, "Oh, very good. Superb. Happy day!"

The soldiers followed suit, applauding him. The Doctor stared at them, not quite sure what to make of the reception as he hesitantly lowered his hands, "Um," he began, "Thanks. Nice to meet you. I'm…the Doctor."

That set them all off clapping again, befuddling him even more. It wasn't the first time he had guns pointed at him by a bunch of armed men, but he never had any clap for him before…he supposed there was a first time for everything.

"Oh, I should say!" Yvonne nodded, "Hurray!"

"You…you've heard of me, then?" he blinked, a little stunned.

"Well of course we have," she smiled, "And I have to say, if it wasn't for you and your lady friend," he frowned at that, "None of us would BE here. The Doctor, Laila, and the TARDIS….!" Overcome, she started to clap again, not taking notice to the Doctor's expression.

He supposed it was understandable that that they knew about him, but how did they know about Laila? How much did they know about her?

"And….and….and you are?" he questioned, his brow furrowed.

Yvonne just continued to smile, "Quite protective over her, aren't you?" she laughed and his frown deepened, "But, there's plenty of time for _that_. Where is she, I must ask? Also, according the records, you have a companion aboard as well. That's a pattern isn't it, right?" the Doctor stared at her, blankly, "There's no point hiding anything. Not from us," she smiled a bit sinisterly, "So _where_ are they?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer the question when the door to the TARDIS opened up a bit and Laila stepped out of it. She looked up at the Doctor as he watched her and then turned her head towards Yvonne, "Hello," she greeted, "I guess you already know who I am."

"Yes," Yvonne nodded with a strange glint in her eye, "We do," she smirked a little as the Doctor wrapped his hand around the Time Lady's hand, a warning in his eye, "Ah, so the rumors must be true then?"

"What rumors?" the Doctor and Laila questioned in unison.

She chuckled, "If neither of you know, then don't worry about it….and don't worry, Doctor. We promise we won't harm her, even if we did, it wouldn't do much, would it now?" her smirk got even wider as Laila's eyes got considerably larger.

"How…?" Laila blinked, shocked.

"How we receive our information is highly classified, and even if we _could_ tell you, we were ordered _not_ to."

"By whom?" the Doctor questioned, his eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't like it…the idea that there was someone out there who knew who Laila was, who she really was, that she was a Healer. He just found out himself, so he still had to question exactly how much they knew about her.

"They said not to reveal it, that you both would know when the time came," she smiled again, "Now, where is your companion, Doctor? I'm waiting," her gaze didn't falter as he continued to slightly glare at her before he closed his eyes and faced the TARDIS doors.

"Yes…" he cleared his throat, "Alright, she's just a bit shy, that's all," he smiled tensely, keeping an eye on Yvonne as he felt around the inside of the box for Jackie, pulling her out when he found her, "But here she is: Rose Tyler," he looked her up and down,, "Hmm. She's NOT the best I've ever had. Bit too blonde. Not too steady on her pins. A lot of that,"

He mimicked chatting and Jackie glared at him while Yvonne laughed. Laila just shook her head at him, sending Jackie an apologetic look.

"And just last week, she stared into the heart of the Time Vortex and aged fifty-seven years," he continued, "But she'll do."

"I'm 40!" Jackie corrected.

"Deluded," he sighed, shaking his head mock-sadly, "Bless. I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone? She's very good at tea. Well, I say very good, I mean not bad. Well…I say not bad…anyway! Lead on," he gestured for them to get a move on, "But not too fast. Her ankle's going."

Yvonne nodded and turned to lead the way, the Doctor, Laila, and Jackie turning to follow, "I'll show you where my ankle's going," Jackie hissed at the man.

Laila smiled at her, "Don't worry about him," she said, "Honestly, I don't think he knows when to _stop_ talking," she pulled her hand out of the Doctor's grasp as he looked taken aback by the remark. Jackie smirked at him before following after the Time Lady.

The Doctor stood still for a moment, thoughtful. He hadn't expected that from her, but he suppose that meant that she was getting better, didn't it? A smile made its way across his face, happy with the idea.

S.S

Yvonne led the trio through a doorway, "It was only a matter of time until you found us," she said, "And at last you've made it. I'd like to welcome you, Doctor, Laila…" she pushed open another door and they found themselves inside a factory of some sort, full of different alien artifacts, "Welcome…to Torchwood."

"That's a Jathar Sunglider," the Doctor pointed out, staring at the contraption.

"Came down to Earth off the Shetland Islands ten years ago," she explained.

"What, did it crash?"

"No," she said without a trace of guilt, "We shot it down. It violated our airspace. Then we stripped it bare. The weapon that destroyed the Sycorax on Christmas Day? That was us!" Laila glanced at the Doctor, confused, and he just shook his head, "Now if you'd like to come with me," Jackie shared an incredulous glance with the Doctor while Laila just frowned in concern as Yvonne led them on, "The Torchwood Institute has a motto: "If it's alien, it's ours". Anything that comes from the sky…we strip it down, and we use it. For the good of the British Empire."

Jackie blinked, not sure if she heard right, "For the good of the what?" she asked.

"The British Empire," Yvonne repeated.

"There…isn't a British Empire," Laila pointed out.

"Not yet," she winked before turning to a soldier as they walked past, "Ah, excuse me…" she took a weapon off of him, holding it up for the group to see, "Now, if you don't mind…do you recognize this, Doctor? Laila?"

Laila didn't respond to the question and the Doctor noted the uncomfortable look at crossed her features, "That's a particle gun," he said, his eyes still on Laila.

"Good, isn't it?" Yvonne said proudly. Jackie tried to touch it, but she wretched it from her grasp, bluntly ignoring the attempt, "Took us eight years to get it to work…"

"Particle guns are illegal at this point in time," Laila said, looking up at the woman with a blank expression.

"Of course, you would know," Yvonne smirked, "Wouldn't you?"

The Doctor furrowed his brow, turning to face the Time Lady at that, "What's she talking about?" he asked, concern etched across his face as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Laila?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but he could still hear her, "One of the…weapons…the…the Council made me create was a modified particle gun. It was the first one I destroyed when I realized what they were going to do with it…" she sniffed, "It would've killed you immediately…" she looked up at him, "I'm sorry…"

The Doctor pulled her into a hug and turned his head towards Yvonne, "Let me guess, you knew that?" he narrowed his eyes, "You knew about it and yet you decided to bring it up? And for _what_? What sort of purpose do you have bringing that situation up, hmm? And it better be a good one…"

"I'm only following orders," Yvonne simply said, not seemingly bothered by Laila's distraught.

He just scoffed and turned his attention back to Laila. Jackie watched the scene and though she was uncertain of what was going on, she could tell it upset the woman. She placed her hands on her shoulders, squeezing them in comfort.

Yvonne eyed them for a moment, "Moving on," the Doctor glowered at her, "We must defend our border against the alien," she handed the gun back to the soldier, "Thank you…Sebastian, isn't it?"

"Yes, Ma'am," the soldier nodded.

"Thank you, Sebastian," she smiled before turning back to the trio, "I think it's VERY important to know everyone by name. Torchwood is a very modern organization. People skills. That's what it's all about these days," her smile turned smug, "I'm a people person."

Jackie rolled her eyes at that.

"Do you have someone…" Laila spoke up quietly, "called Allonzo?"

The Doctor couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face at that, but he knew what she was trying to do: distract him.

"No, I don't think so," Yvonne shook her head, "Is that important?"

She shrugged, "Not really," she looked at the Doctor, "Doctor?" he looked down at her, "You can let go of me now."

He blinked, realizing he was still holding her and did as she requested, though he couldn't deny the slight cold feeling he received upon doing so, "Sorry…um…" he looked at Yvonne, "What was your name?"

"Yvonne," she introduced, "Yvonne Hartman," she looked on as he pulled a large device from inside of a nearby box, "Ah yes. Now, we're rather fond of these. The Magnaclamp. Found in a spaceship buried at the base of Mount Snowdon. Attach this to an object and it cancels the mass. I could use it to lift two tonnes of weight with a single hand. That's an imperial ton, by the way. Torchwood refuses to go metric," the Doctor threw the Magnaclamp back into the box and brushed his hands of some imaginary dust,

"I could do with that to carry the shopping," Jackie remarked.

"All these devices are for Torchwood's benefit," Yvonne patronized, "Not the general public's."

Jackie pulled a face at her while the Doctor examined a magnifying glass, "So, what about these ghosts?" he asked.

"Ah yes, the ghosts…" she trailed, "They're er…what you might call a side effect."

"Of what?" he turned to fully face her.

"All in good time, Doctor," she smiled, "There is an itinerary, trust me."

"Oi! Where're you taking that?" Jackie called out. The Doctor and Laila followed looked just as the TARDIS was brought by on the back of a truck.

"'If it's alien, it's ours,'" Yvonne quoted herself and Laila shook her head at the woman.

"You'll never get inside it," the Doctor commented.

Even if she did manage to get inside, there was no possible way she or anyone else besides him and Laila would be able to comprehend where to start. They wouldn't know what buttons to push, what would kill them and what would not…and even if they figured that part out, there was no way the TARDIS would let them even leave the premises without him, and he wouldn't leave without Laila, so…

"Hm!" Yvonne waved him off, "Et cetera," she walked off and the Doctor continued to watch the TARDIS. Rose, who was still inside, opened the door a crack and peeked through it at him. He nodded encouragingly at her before he looked away.

S.S

Rose closed the door and went over to where the Doctor's coat was hanging over the railing. She rummaged around in the pockets, "Psychic paper…" she muttered to herself, "psychic paper…" she pulled out the object once she found it and opened it, biting her lip as she thought about what she could do with it.

S.S

Adeola looked across the room at Matt and quickly typed in a message…

"_Hey Matt. Want to see something good?"_

Matt's computer bleeped as he received the message and looked up at her in surprise, mouthing "what?"

She just looked back at her computer, typing more.

"_Come and see."_

Adeola stood and Matt watched her before hesitantly following after her.

S.S

Yvonne, the Doctor, Laila, and Jackie strode down a corridor flanked with armed soldiers, "All those times I've been on Earth," the Doctor spoke up, "I'VE never heard of you."

"But of course not," Yvonne said, "You and Laila are the enemy. You're actually named in the Torchwood Foundation Charter of 1879 as an enemy of the Crown."

The Doctor looked taken aback at that, "Okay…1879….that was called Torchwood, that house in Scotland."

"That's right. Where you both encountered Queen Victoria and the werewolf."

"I understand my part in that, don't get me wrong," he held up his hands, "But she," he gestured towards Laila, "SAVED them! All of them! That telescope wouldn't have worked if she hadn't had that necklace and the ring. She _stopped_ the wolf from _killing_ Sir Robert! How is _she_ the enemy?"

"Because what she did was not of this world, Doctor," Yvonne explained.

He just stared at her in disbelief until he felt a hand on his arm, "It's ok," Laila said, "It doesn't bother me," she scratched the back of her head, "Something like that was bound to happen," he opened his mouth to argue, "It's fine, I'm _fine_."

"See? She's fine," Yvonne smiled, "Her majesty created the Torchwood Institute with the express intention of keeping Britain great. And fighting the alien horde."

"But if we're the enemy, does that make us prisoners?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh yes," she answered without hesitation as they rounded a corner, finding themselves outside a large black door, "But we'll make you perfectly comfortable. And there is so much you can teach us. Starting with this," she pressed her ID card against the digital lock and opened the door, revealing another where the large sphere lied, "Now, what do you make of that?"

Rajesh, noticing their arrival, straightened his jacket and approached the Doctor, who was gaping up at the sphere, and Laila who was standing near the door, keeping her distance, "You must be the Doctor," he began, "And Laila," he nodded at her, "Rajesh Singh. It's an honour, sir, ma'am."

"Nice to…meet you…" Laila smiled a little at him, and then focused her attention on the sphere.

"Yeah…" the Doctor acknowledged him, just vaguely. Figuring neither was going to shake his hand, Rajesh lowered his hand sheepishly.

"What IS that thing?" Jackie questioned, eyeing it warily.

"We got no idea," Yvonne shrugged.

"But what's wrong with it?"

Rajesh looked at her, "What makes you think there's something wrong with it?" he asked.

"I dunno…" she frowned, "Just feels weird."

The Doctor dashed forwards and up the steps leading to the sphere while Laila still kept her distance, slight fear in her eyes.

"Well, the sphere has that effect on everyone," Yvonne explained, "Makes you wanna run and hide. Like it's forbidden."

"We tried analyzing it using every device imaginable," Rajesh added and the Doctor put on his 3D specs, examining the sphere more closely, "But…according to our instruments…the sphere doesn't exist. It weighs nothing. It doesn't age. No heat. No radiation. And…has no atomic mass."

"But I can see it!" Jackie argued.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" he shook his head, "It upsets people because it gives off…nothing. It is…absent."

"Well, Doctor?" Yvonne spoke up, "Laila?"

"A Void Ship," Laila said at the same time the Doctor said, "This is a Void ship."

She looked between the two, "And what is that?" she asked.

"It's a vessel designed, or created, to exist outside of time and space," Laila clarified, "It travels through the Void, the space between dimensions…the Darkness, or Hell, as the Healers called it…and it is apparent the wounds they healed are opening up somehow," she shivered and the Doctor frowned, seeing it.

"But someone built the sphere," Rajesh pointed out, "What for? Why go there?"

"Well, if it's affecting me, it's to escape," she answered, "They're destroying the walls of time and walking through…" she shivered again and the Doctor stood, walking over to her.

"What is it?" he asked, quietly enough so that only she could hear him, "You're shivering…"

"It's an effect of the wounds being opened," she said, "It doesn't hurt…" she looked up at him, "Doctor…whatever's in that sphere…" she shook her head, "Isn't good."

He frowned at that, "How do you know?"

"The Void is like a prison…." she trailed, not needing to explain more.

"So, there is something inside it?" Yvonne interrupted, gaining their attention.

"Oh yes," the Doctor nodded and she raised an eyebrow at his tone.

"So how do we get in there?" Rajesh asked.

"We don't!" he said, "We send that thing back into Hell. How did it get here in the first place?"

"Well, that's how it all started," Yvonne stepped up, "The sphere came through into this world, and the ghosts followed in its wake."

"Show us," he said and walked off. Yvonne exchanged a looked with Rajesh and followed after him, Laila behind her. The Doctor exited the room and went to the left.

"No, Doctor," she called and he went back to the right.

S.S

Adeola led Matt into the curtained area, "I don't get it," Matt said, slightly irritated, "What is it? What am I supposed to be looking for?"

"Just go to the left!" she told him brightly.

"Yvonne's gonna be back any minute," he countered.

"Just go to the left," she urged.

"What, do you mean in here?!" he gestured towards the plastic curtains and she nodded. He sighed and pushed the drapes aside, walking towards the red glow. Adeola strode off back to the rift chamber with the sounds of a drill and Matt screaming behind her.

S.S

Rose tentatively stepped out of the TARDIS doors and looked around to see that she was tucked away in a corner on the factory floor. She quickly dodged out of sight of two men talking, trying to go the other way only to see two soldiers approaching. She waited until they were gone, then quickly grabbed a discarded white lab coat, putting it on to disguise herself. She then walked confidently out into the open, relieved when no one gave her a second glance. She looked around for a moment and spotted one man striding purposefully through and door and decided to follow him.

S.S

Adeola returned to her computer as Yvonne showed the Doctor and Laila the expanse wall from which the white light emitted during the ghost shift, "The sphere came through here," she explained, "A hole in the world."

Laila reached forwards to touch the wall, only to draw back her hand as if she'd been burned. The Doctor lifted up her hand and his eyes widened, seeing the burn marks on her fingers, "The Void is like poison to the Healers, the one thing we cannot touch…" she blinked and clenched her fist closed, a blue aura appearing around it, "I forgot for a moment…" She opened her hand again and the marks were gone…

"It's not active at the moment," Yvonne continued, "But when we fire particle engines at that exact spot, the breech opens up."

"How did you even find it?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, we were getting warning signs for years," she clarified, "A radar black-spot. So we built this place. Torchwood Tower. The breech was six hundred feet above sea level. It was the only way to reach it."

"You built a skyscraper just to reach a spatial disturbance?" he questioned, putting on his 3D glasses, "How much money have you got?"

"Enough," she turned and walked away as he took off the specs and folded his arms, still contemplating the wall.

"Hold on a minute…" Jackie said, looking out the window in Yvonne's office, "We're in Canary Wharf! Must be! This building, it's Canary Wharf."

"Well," Yvonne said, "That is the public name for it. But to those in the know, it's Torchwood."

The Doctor and Laila joined them a second after, "So, you find the breech," the Doctor began, "Probe it, the sphere comes through, causing Laila _pain_," he narrowed his eyes, "Six hundred feet above London, bam. It leaves a hole in the fabric of reality, causing her _more_ pain. And that hole, you think, "Oh, shall we leave it alone? Shall we back off? Shall we play it safe?" Nah, you think "Let's make it BIGGER!"" he rubbed the space between his eyes.

"It's a massive source of energy," Yvonne argued, "If we can harness that power, we need never depend on the Middle East again. Britain will become truly independent. Look, you both can see it for yourselves. Next Ghost Shift's in two minutes," she left the office and entered the main rift room. The Doctor immediately followed after her.

"Cancel it," he ordered lightly.

"I don't think so."

"I'm warning you," he said, traces of anger lacing his voice, "Cancel it. You said you wouldn't hurt her…you start another shift and you'll hurt her, and I won't allow that to go without consequence."

Yvonne chuckled, "Are you for certain you don't know what the rumor is? Because it's playing out right in front of me," she said, "Exactly as the legends would have it. The Doctor, lording it over us for the sake of his Time Lady, but he doesn't even know why he's doing it, yet it doesn't matter. Assuming alien authority over the rights of Man."

The Doctor eyed her for a moment, confused. _His_ Time Lady? In what way was she his? They weren't together, even though a part of him thought the idea wasn't really so...bad…but rather…a pretty good, nice, idea. The point was that they weren't together, so therefore she wasn't his, "Let me show you," he said, choosing to not acknowledge her statement aloud.

Laila looked at him, her brow furrowed, puzzled. A lot of what was happening was making her question his intentions when it came to her. She already had a pretty decent idea of what the whole rumor situation was about and she couldn't help but think that Yvonne _knew_ somehow that all the remarks she was making towards her, and her act of nonchalant-ness, would get a rise out of the Doctor….and the way she smirked afterwards, like she'd just proved a point.

She wanted to believe it was because she was a Time Lady, it was more rational that way…but with the way Yvonne was acting, and given how the Doctor didn't deny her claim that she was _his_ Time Lady, when he basically went full out denying that they were together when Mrs. Moore hinted at it back on the parallel Earth, she….she was starting to think it was something else…but that was illogical, completely impossible. There was no possible way that he…that he cared about her in _that_ way….it just didn't make any sense to her in her mind. Admittedly, the thought filled her with a sort of…a nice sort of warmth.

But it was still very unlikely it was true.

The Doctor pulled the sonic out of his pocket and stood on the other side of the glass partition between Yvonne's office and the main rift room, "Sphere comes through," he pointed the sonic at the glass and activated it, causing the glass to splinter, and they all watched as the crack extended outward, "But when it made the hole, it cracked the world around it. The entire surface of this dimension, splintered. And that's how the ghosts get through. That's how they get everywhere. They're bleeding through the fault lines. Walking from their world, across the Void, and into yours. With the Human Race hoping and wishing and helping them along! But too many ghosts, and…" he lightly touched the glass and the whole thing shattered, falling from the frame.

"Well, in that case we'll have to be more careful," Yvonne stated, seemingly unfazed by his explanation, and faced the staff in the room, "Positions! Ghost Shifts in one minute."

"Ms. Hartman," he hurried after her as she moved along, "I'm asking you…no, I'm telling you, don't do it."

"We have done this a thousand times."

"Then stop at a thousand!" he nearly shouted, a bit tired of the woman and her lack of concern for anyone else but the ghosts and Torchwood.

"We are in control of the ghosts," she looked at him, "The levers can open the breech, but equally they can CLOSE it," they stared at each other for a minute, a battle of will, until…

"Okay," he nodded, a bit tensely, and turned to walk into her office, grabbing two chairs. Yvonne blinked, shocked.

"Sorry?!" she called, not sure if she should be afraid or not. Of course Torchwood knew what the Doctor and Laila didn't yet, but from their source of information on the two, the Doctor was more dangerous at this point in time than ever when it came to anything happening to the Time Lady. It was almost unpredictable what he would do if anything were to hurt her, especially _now_ that he was closer to realizing…

"Never mind!" the Doctor called over his shoulder, knocking her from her thoughts, "As you were."

"What, is that it?" she asked, and glanced at Laila, seeing no indication of surprise on her face, but curiosity.

"No!" he shook his head, putting down the chairs, "Fair enough. Said our bit. Don't mind us," he motioned for Laila to sit, and she did, "Any chance of a cup of tea?"

"Ghost Shift in twenty seconds," Adeola announced.

"Mm!" he grinned, which honestly frightened Yvonne more than she'd admit, "Can't WAIT to see it!"

"You can't stop us, Doctor," Yvonne said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"No, absolutely not!" he nodded, agreeing with her, and looked at Jackie, "Pull up a chair, Rose! Come and watch the fireworks."

Jackie moved to stand behind the Doctor and Laila's chairs, watching the scene play out before her.

"Ghost Shift in ten seconds," Adeola spoke, "Nine…eight…"

Yvonne continued to stare at the Time Lord as he raised his eyebrow at her, daring her to go through with it.

"Seven….six…five….four….three….two…."

A white flash broke through the Doctor's eyes, which Yvonne caught, "Stop the shift," she ordered, knowing what the flash meant, "I said stop."

"Thank you," the Doctor smiled gratefully.

"I suppose it makes sense to get as much intelligence as possible," she said, "But the program will recommence, as soon as you've explained everything."

He just continued to smile, "I'm glad to be of help," he looked at Laila, "We both are."

"And someone clear up this glass," she called into the room, and then turned back to the Doctor, "They did warn me, Doctor. They said you like to make a mess," she walked away back into her office. Adeola, Matt, and Gareth exchanged silent looks before they began to type.

S.S

Rose strode down a corridor, still following the man from a distance. She broke into a job as he rounded a corner, hearing the sound of a door opening and closing. She peered cautiously around the corner and then approached the door. She surmised it for a moment, briefly kissing the psychic paper before pressing it against the lock, causing the door to slide open, granting her access…

She slowly walked into the sphere chamber. Just as everyone before her, she appeared hypnotized by the floating Void ship. Rajesh looked up and upon spotting her, he approached, "Can I help you?" he asked.

"I was just…" she blinked, unable to look away from the sphere.

"Try not to look," he advised, "It does that to everyone. What do you want?"

"Sorry," she shook her head, "Um…they sent me from personnel. They said some man had been taken prisoner. Some sort of Doctor? I'm just….checking the lines of communication, did they tell you anything?"

"Can I see your authorization?"

"….Sure," she handed him the psychic paper, watching as he checked it.

"That's lucky," he began and she smiled, "You see, everyone at Torchwood has at least a basic level of psychic training," and then it fell, "And you're a fake," he held his comm. up to his mouth, "Seal the room. Call security."

Rose twisted around as the doors closed behind her, blocking off her only escape.

"Samuel?" he called, "Can you check the door locks? She just walked right in."

Samuel turned and Rose's eyes widened a little seeing that it wasn't some strange man…it was Mickey, "Doing it now, sir," he nodded and put his finger up to his lips as he passed by Rose, giving her a quick thumbs up.

"Well," Rajesh looked at her, "If you'd like to take a seat."

She nodded, lost for words.

S.S

Yvonne was sitting at her desk with a laptop in front of her, the Doctor, Laila, and Jackie sitting across from her, "So these ghosts, whatever they are…did they build the sphere?" she asked, her eyes lingering on the Time Lord's feet, which were perched on the desk. She decided to let it pass, just this once.

"No," Laila shook her head, "It's formed from a type of energy called oblivionage."

"And what's oblivionage?" she frowned, "I thought nothing was in the Void."

"And that's what it's made from, nothing, ergo _Oblivion_-age. The energy that contains nothing…it's very complicated…"

"Yvonne?"

Yvonne peered at the computer to see Rajesh's face pop up on the video-chat screen, "I think you should see this. We've got a visitor. We don't know who she is, but funnily enough, she arrived at the same time as the Doctor and Laila."

Laila looked at the Doctor as his face twitched, which she found a little comical, of which he smiled at. Yvonne turned the laptop around so the others could see Rajesh on the screen, Rose sitting next to him, peering at them.

"She one of yours?" Yvonne asked.

"Never seen her before in my life," the Doctor shook his head. Laila raised an eyebrow at that.

"Good!" she smiled, "Then we can have her shot."

He quickly sat up at the threat, "Oh all right then, it'll be worth a try. That's…" he nodded at the blonde, "That's Rose Tyler."

"Sorry," Rose spoke up, "Hello!" the Doctor waved back.

"Well, if that's Rose Tyler," Yvonne blinked, "Who SHE?" she pointed at Jackie.

"I'm her mother," Jackie said for herself.

"Oh," she nodded, "You travel with her mother?"

"He kidnapped me," she told her.

"Please," the Doctor said pleadingly, "When Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I travelled through time and space with her mother…"

Laila shook her head at him, "I like Jackie," she commented, making the woman smile, "She's nice and makes wonderful tea."

The Doctor glanced at her as she smiled at him, "Well…what I mean was…" he tried to reason which made Jackie and Yvonne smirk, knowing what he was doing.

The sound of the ghost shift engines starting up was heard, interrupting the moment. Yvonne hurriedly stood to her feet and walked into the rift room, "Excuse me?" she spoke, "Everyone? I thought I said stop the ghost shift," they all ignored her, staring straight ahead, "Who started the program? But…I ordered you to stop! Who's doing that?!" she pointed to the lever as it rose upwards on its own, "Step away from the monitors, everyone."

They continued to type, as if not hearing her.

"Gareth, Addy!" she looked at the two, "Stop what you're doing, RIGHT NOW. Matt. Step away from your desk. That's an order! Stop the levers!" two scientist rushed over to the levers and struggled to push them down, "Stop the levers!"

"What's SHE doing?!" the Doctor questioned, dashing over to Adeola, Yvonne following after him. Laila stood in the doorway of her office, looking around the room for a moment as it broke into chaos. She blinked rapidly as spots began to blur her vision…that wasn't good…

She slid down 'till she was sitting on the floor and Jackie rushed over to her, "You ok, sweetheart?" she asked, but didn't receive a respond from the woman as she stared out into the open space, her eyes distant.

The Doctor clicked his fingers in front of Adeola's face, receiving no response, "Listen to me," Yvonne ordered, "Step away from the desk."

"She can't hear you," he told her, observing the computer screen, "They're overriding the system."

"Doctor!"

He whipped around to see Jackie kneeling near Laila. His hearts constricted seeing her slumped on the ground, unconscious, "Laila!" he shouted and dashed over to her, kneeling down next to her, "What happened?" he looked at Jackie, "What happened?!"

"I don't know!" she yelled back, "She was leaning against the frame and then she became like this," she motioned towards her current state, "What's going on?"

"She…she said the Void was like poison to the Healers," he looked at the white wall as a light filled the room, "It's opening, so the force of it must've knocked her unconscious…" he placed his hand on her cheek, still warm, and let out a shuddering breath.

S.S

_The Doctor was walking down Dame Kelly Homes Close, his hands in his pockets, his expression thoughtful. Rose and Laila had did it, they set everyone the Isolus had imprisoned in the drawings and freed them, and he couldn't help but wonder how they did without him there to lead the way like he normally did, how Laila did…_

_It was stupid thinking about it, of course she did fine…she didn't need him to help out…not at all…._

"_Doctor?" he turned to see Laila standing there, staring at him with wide-eyes, "You're…" _

_He stared back at her, surprised when she attack-hugged him…tightly, if he had to add. He wrapped his arms around her, returning the gesture, "You ok?" he asked, feeling her shaking slightly._

"_I…" she sniffed a little and then laughed, "I realize how you felt back on the ship, with Reinette," he frowned, confused, "When you thought I wouldn't come back," his eyes widened considerably, remembering the feeling, how lost he felt, "No anger, just despair…." she pulled back and wiped her eyes, smiling up at him, "I don't like the idea of never seeing you again as much as you don't like the idea of never seeing me again…."_

_He opened his mouth to respond to that, but found himself quite speechless in fact. _

_She shook her head, "I'm sorry I made you feel that way."_

_He just smiled at her, "Doesn't matter now," he said, "We're still here…together…that's all that matters…" he pulled her into another hug, resting his head on top of hers. Unbeknownst to them, Rose was watching the scene from a little ways down the street, a cake in her hand. She dropped it to the ground…and stepped on it…_

S.S

"Doctor!"

Blinking rapidly, he looked over at Jackie as she stared at him, an odd look on her face, "W…what?" he asked.

"You just went blank there…" she told him.

"It's nothing," he cleared his throat, the warm feeling he got from the memory dimming down, and stood to his feet before moving over to Adeola, observing her ear-piece, "It's the ear-piece controlling them. I've seen this before," he took the sonic from his pocket and stood behind the woman, "Sorry. I'm so sorry," he held the sonic up to the device, deactivating it. Adeola screamed in pain before slumping over the desk, dead. Matt and Gareth did the same in a chain effect.

Yvonne gaped at the scene, "What happened?" she asked, looking at him, "What did you just do?"

"They're dead," he simply said.

"You killed them," Jackie realized, her eyes-wide.

"Don't…." he pointed at her as she stood to her feet, "Don't move away from her, keep an eye on her…please…" he closed his eyes, "And someone else did that long before I got here."

"But you killed them!" she shouted.

"Jackie, I haven't got time for this," he ground out and Yvonne just looked at him, knowing what was going on, what was about to happen, "Just _please_, don't question me right now," he rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a bit fuzzy.

"What're those ear-pieces?" Yvonne asked, eyeing them.

"Don't," he warned.

"But they're standard comm. devices," she said, "How does it control them?"

"Trust me," he told her, going over to Matt's computer, "Leave them alone."

"But what are they?" she looked at him and then back to Adeola. She took a hold of one of her ear-pieces and pulled it…right out of her head. A trail of brain tissue followed as she did, "Urgh!" she dropped it, revolted, "Oh, God! It goes inside their brain!"

"What about the Ghost Shift?" the Doctor questioned. He did warn her…

"Ninety percent there," she wiped her hands on her pants, "It's still running. Can't you stop it?"

"They're still controlling it," he told her, "They've hi-jacked the system."

"Who's THEY?" she questioned.

He didn't answer her, instead he took the sonic out of his pocket and held it flat on the palm of his hand, turning slowly, "It might be a remote transmitter but it's gotta be close by," he explained, "I can trace it," he looked at Jackie, "Jackie, I need you to stay here, and under no circumstances are you to leave Laila's side…understood?"

Jackie nodded and watched as he dashed off from the room, Yvonne right behind him. She looked down at the Time Lady as a bluish hue covered her, flickering on and off.

Behind them Rajesh was speaking on the video-chat window, the words "sphere activated" flashing across the screen.

S.S

"We've got a problem down here," Rajesh called into his comm., "Yvonne, can you hear me?" he looked up at the sphere as it was vibrating, a slightly frightened look on his face, "Yvonne, for God's sake…the sphere is active! The readings are going wild! It's got weight, it's got mass, an electromagnetic field…it exists!" he jumped as hear a crash come from behind him and looked to see the door closing, "The door's sealed. Automatic quarantine…we can't get out!"

He dashed off and Rose and Mickey were left looking up at the sphere, "It's all right," Mickey assured Rose, "We beat them before, we can beat them again. That's why I'm here. The fight goes on," he eyed the sphere as it continued to vibrate.

"The fight against what?" Rose asked.

"What d'you think?" he responded.

Suddenly two violent crashes emitted from the sphere and they stumbled a bit as the whole room shook.

S.S

The Doctor speed-walked down a corridor, letting the sonic screwdriver guide him. Yvonne followed after him, but stopped seeing two passing soldiers, "You two," she pointed at them, "You come with us."

"Yes, ma'am," one of the soldiers nodded.

S.S

The scientist were still trying and failing to push the levers down. Jackie squinted as the light grew brighter and looked down at Laila to see the woman still unconscious, but twitching her nose as she slowly came to…

S.S

The Doctor, Yvonne, and the two soldiers approached the curtained area, "What's down here?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't…" Yvonne shrugged, "I dunno, I think it's building work. It's just renovations."

He looked at her, dead serious, "You should go back," he told her, then began to move forwards.

"Think again," she countered before following after him, gesturing for the soldiers to do the same. The Doctor stopped pushing the curtains aside as the sonic bleeped. He stared at it for a moment.

"What is it?" she asked, "What's down here?"

"Ear-pieces, ear-pods, this world is colliding with another," he realized, "And I think I know which one."

Without a moment's notice, the outline of Cybermen standing behind the curtains surrounded them, "What are they?" she pointed at the figures.

"They came through first," he said, a heavy feeling settling in his stomach as the Cybermen slit the curtains with their hands, "Laila was right, what was coming through wasn't good," they began to march towards them, "Cybermen."

The two soldiers fired their bullets at the Cybermen, but it did nothing against their metal appearance. The Doctor and Yvonne tried to escape another way, but they were surrounded.

S.S

Anther crash emitted from the sphere, "We had them beaten, but then they escaped," Mickey continued to explain, "The Cybermen just vanished," another crash, "They found a way through to this world, but…so did we."

"The Doctor said that was impossible," Rose stated, looking at him.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "Well it's not the first time he's been wrong."

The Cybermen were a part of why he decided to return to this world and of course Laila was the other, he couldn't help but worry about the Time Lady, especially after the whole 'ignoring her' fiasco. He wasn't exactly sure what would happen, so here he was.

"What's inside that sphere?" Rose asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"No one knows," he shrugged, "Cyber Leader, Cyber Kind, Emperor of the Cybermen…whatever it is…" he grinned, "He's dead meat."

She smiled and nudged him, "It's good to see you."

He stared at her for a moment, but eventually returned the smile, "Yeah," he nodded, "It's good to see you too."

Despite how he didn't like her treatment of Laila, Rose was there for him when he needed her…before she met the Doctor…so he had to give her credit for that at least. She was a very dear friend to him, and he didn't want that to end.

S.S

The Cybermen led Yvonne and the Doctor, who had their hands behind their head, back to the rift chamber, "Get away from the machines," the Doctor warned the other staff, "Do what they say, don't fight them!"

The Cybermen revealed their weapons and shot at one of the scientist, killing them on impact. Jackie watched the scene, horrified, "What are they?" she asked. The Doctor glanced at her and furrowed his brow.

"We are the Cybermen," one of the Cybermen announced, "The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent," it clamped a fist to its chest and the lever started to rise again, beginning the shift.

The Doctor was still looking at Jackie, "Jackie…" he began, "Where's Laila?"

Jackie looked down to see the woman gone, which was impossible, "She…she was here," she reasoned, "I dunno what…"

"I told you to keep an eye on her," he ground out, "Where is she?"

"How am I supposed to know!" she shouted, tired of his snide remarks and now he was blaming her for the Time Lady's disappearance. She only took her eyes off the woman when they came back into the room with the...the Cybermen.

The Doctor averted his gaze and then gasped…

S.S

The ghost stepped out of thin air, accompanied by the sound of Cybermen marching.

S.S

"It's extraordinary," a Ghostwatch presenter said, "There are more ghosts then we've ever seen before…" they materialized around Big Ben and the Taj Mahal, "And it's happening all over the world."

S.S

"As far as we know," a police commander stated, "The increase in ghost activity is harmless."

S.S

Rows and rows of Cybermen marched out of the light in the rift chamber. The Doctor, who was clutching his chest, looked up as they did. Yvonne glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, seeing another white flash cross his eyes. It was only a matter of time…

S.S

"Can anyone hear me?" Rajesh tried the comm. again, "Come on, I need help down here!" the entire chamber was shaking with booms sounding from the sphere, "I need…" he looked up as it stopped shaking. He silently moved over to Mickey and Rose as Mickey removed his lab coat and pulled off his ear-piece.

"Here we go," Mickey grinned, prepared. Rajesh his glasses on as smooth cracks appeared in to the sphere as it opened, light spilling from the gaps. They heard a groan behind them and turned to see a figure standing up. The person stood there for a moment before whipping around, revealing it to be Laila.

"Really?" she muttered to herself, rubbing the bridge between her nose, "Why here?" she looked up, seeing the trio, "Oh, hello," her gaze travelled over to Mickey and her eyes widened, "Mickey?"

"What's happening?" he smiled and stared at she walked up to him, taking in his appearance.

"We're colliding with your world," she blinked, realizing the same thing the Doctor did, "Oh, that's not good…" she shook her head and then smiled, pulling him into a hug, "Never thought I'd see you again."

"Same here," Mickey grinned, returning the gesture before pulling away. She continued to smile at him, before it dropped seeing the sphere opening up.

Well, that definitely was not good.

S.S

"These Zybermen," Jackie started, "What've they got to do with the ghosts?"

"Don't you ever listen?" the Doctor asked, irate, "A footprint doesn't look like a boot!"

What was wrong with him? He wasn't angry, no, in fact he was the opposite. He felt calm and warmth was spreading through him like wildfire, it was nice, yes, but he didn't know _why_ it was happening. He also felt sad, and a little empty, but he already knew why that was…

"Achieving full transfer," a Cyberman called.

"They're Cybermen," he explained slowly, "All of the ghosts are Cybermen. Laila said there was something coming through, she just didn't know what…" the Cybermen continued to march from the light, slowly becoming more defined, "Millions of them. Right across the world."

He also felt _really_ happy for some reason, beyond human-won-the-lottery happy. He clutched his chest and gasped again, but this time a white light clouded his vision…

S.S

Across the world all the ghosts were shown in their true form, Cybermen. They became more defined and the people who brought them in, embraced them, started to scream at the sight of them.

"They're not ghosts!" the Ghostwatch presenter stood, "They're metal men…"

A Cyberman walked right into the studio and strangled him, cutting off his sentence.

S.S

"I urge you," the Police commander yelled, "Stay in your homes!"

S.S

Hundreds of Cybermen were standing in the light, ready for war. Yvonne placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder as he stood to his feet, "Let me guess…" she smirked, "the name?"

The Doctor eye's widened as realization dawned on him. Somehow she knew this would happen, that…that he would figure it out…that he and Laila…

"B-but that's impossible," he breathed, his mind going back to what he just experienced and what it meant, "We can't be…we haven't even…without…" he nearly tore his hair out trying to wrap his mind around it, "How did you know?"

Yvonne continued to smile, "All in due time, Doctor," she said, patting him on the shoulder, "Now, back to the situation at hands. It appears they're invading the planet."

He swallowed, still a little distorted, "It's not an invasion, it's too late for that," he said, "It's a victory," they looked round at the laptop as it started to bleep.

"Sphere activated," it said, "Sphere activated. Sphere activated. Sphere activated."

S.S

The light continued to spill from the sphere, "I know what's in there," Mickey said, "And I'm ready for them. I've got just the thing," he walked over to a nearby counter and pulled out a weapon from underneath it. Laila raised an eyebrow at him, "Sorry, know you don't like guns, but it's the only thing we've got…" he positioned himself in front of the sphere, "This is gonna blast them to Hell."

"Samuel, what are you doing?!" Rajesh cried out, looking at him in shock.

"The name's Mickey," Mickey corrected him, "Mickey Smith. Defending the Earth."

He cocked his gun as the sphere parted further.

S.S

The Doctor turned to one of the Cybermen, "What I don't understand is Cybermen don't have the technology to build the Void Ship, that's WAY beyond you. How did you create that sphere?"

"The sphere is not ours," the Cyberman told him, stunning him.

"…what?" he blinked.

"The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds," it explained, "We only followed. It's origin is unknown."

"Then what's inside it…?" he asked.

"Rose is down there," Jackie said fearfully

"And Laila…." he breathed, "I don't know where she is…"

It would be two separate things if he knew she was either with him, which he preferred now _more than ever_, or down there with Rose in the chamber, which he wouldn't be too happy about, but he hadn't a clue _where_ she was. She could be anywhere in the building! She could be hurt…

He shook his head. He was getting ahead of himself, but at least he knew why now…

S.S

Laila's eyes widened in horror as the top part of a familiar looking alien emerged from the sphere, "No…" she breathed, a cold shiver running down her spine. Not them, anything but them.

"That's not Cybermen…" Mickey said, completely thrown. Laila pulled him back to stand next to her, staring as four Daleks glided smoothly from the sphere.

"Oh my God," Rose breathed, stepping back as well.

"Location: Earth," one of the Daleks spoke, "Life forms detected. Exterminate!"

Mickey aimed his gun at them as Rose and Laila stared at them in fear.

"Exterminate! Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!"

S.S

Man, this chapter was loooonnng! But, I did tell you it would include some stuff from what happened in the two episodes I didn't post. Speaking of which, who loved the memory the Doctor thought back to from Fear Her? I know I did, it was just _too_ cute. And before anyone asks, the whole Rose part of that was just an extra tidbit I added because there hasn't been much Laila bashing from Rose in this episode. The Time Lords didn't see her standing there at all.

Remember how I said there's a question about Laila that cannot be answered, but will be answered? WELL, this was it…all the information Torchwood has on her….who gave it to them? The world may never know…

I wonder what it is the Doctor has figured out, and what he thinks is so impossible. We'll see a change in his thoughts and actions as the idea settles in his head….a very _big_ change, if I must say ;)

I know someone will probably ask "Does Laila have teleporting abilities?" All I can say towards that is that it is very complicated, but it's both a yes and a no. She has the ability but then again _she_ doesn't. Moving on, yay! Mickey's back, how do you think the Doctor will react to that? And where is Ricky? Well…he'll be coming up shortly…

I have a little challenge for you all, if you are able to guess what Yvonne was talking about when it came to the 'rumor' about Laila and the Doctor, and then I'll give you all a sneak peek of something that'll happen at some point in the next two seasons. The requirements are that at least three people get it right. Now, none of you have to do this, it is just something I thought would be fun. Hint: Think outside the box.

Two reviews!

Mionerocks: Thank you, I try :)

The Inquirer: Yeah, it's sad that it's gotten to this point in her jealousy...


	29. Doomsday: Daleks

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Doomsday

Chapter 29: Daleks

* * *

"Exterminate!" the Daleks continued to cry out as they advanced upon Rose, Laila, Mickey and Rajesh.

"Daleks!" Rose shouted, causing them to halt, "You're called 'Daleks'."

Laila stared at her as if she were out of her mind. Cybermen were one thing, but Daleks were by far worse. They were cold, manipulative, creatures bent on killing everything not Dalek. At least the Cybermen converted people into Cybermen, not that either was a better alternative to the other.

"I know your name," Rose continued, pulling her lab coat off, "Think about it…how can I know that? A human…who knows about the Daleks. And the Time War. If you wanna know how, then keep us alive. That's all I'm asking. Me and my…friends."

Mickey shook his head, "Yeah, Daleks," he nodded, "Time War. Me too."

The Dalek's eye-piece swung around to look at Mickey.

"Yeah," Rajesh played along, "And me."

Then it swiveled back around, stopping on Laila when she didn't say anything. It seemed to observe her for a moment before looking back at Rose, "You will be necessary," it said, shocking her, then turned to one of the other Daleks, "Report…what is the status of the Genesis Ark."

"Status…" the Dalek reported, "Hibernation."

"Commence awakening," it ordered.

"The Genesis Ark must be protected above all else," another said.

The four Daleks swiveled around to the Genesis Ark that stood in the middle of them and clamped their suction arms to the side of it. Mickey leaned over towards Rose while they were distracted, "The Daleks…you said they were all dead."

"Never mind that," Rose waved him off, not taking her eyes off them, "What the hell's a Genesis Ark?" she looked at Laila, "How'd they not recognize you?"

Laila glanced at her then back to the Daleks, "It's a long and complicated story," she sighed, "but the Healers have dealt with the Daleks before."

"Healers?" Mickey frowned, confused, "What'd mean by that? Who're they?"

She looked at him before she went into the process of explaining what he exactly missed while he was gone.

S.S

"What's down there?" Jackie questioned frantically, "She was in that room with the sphere. What's happened to Rose?"

The Doctor was leaning against the wall, the only thing on his mind was where Laila was, if she was alright, if she was hurt, and if she had figured out the same thing he had, "I don't know," he eventually responded to Jackie. Suddenly, the woman started to cry and he walked over to her, "I'll find her, and Laila. I brought you all here, and I'll get you all out. You, Rose, and Laila. Jackie, look at me," she sniffled, "Look at me," she looked up at him, her eyes red from tears, "I promise you. I give you my word."

A Cyberman approached Yvonne, who was sitting at her desk, "You will talk to your central world authority and order global surrender," it commanded.

"Oh," she rolled her eyes, "Do some research. We haven't GOT a central world authority."

"You have now," it said, "I will speak on all global wavelengths," the Doctor put on his 3D specs, "This broadcast is for human kind."

S.S

A frightened family was huddled in their living room as they viewed the broadcast on the television, "Cybermen now occupy every land mass on this planet," the Cyberman announced, "But you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear," a Cyberman was currently handing over the family, guarding them, "Cybermen will remove sex and class and colour and creed. You will become identical. You will become like us."

S.S

People continued to run and scream as the military shot at the Cybermen, but alas with no effect. The Cybermen aimed their own weapons and blew up a truck, killing the soldiers inside and around it. One soldier managed to hit a Cyberman and watched it go up in flames.

S.S

The Doctor, Jackie, Yvonne and one of the Cybermen observed the proceedings far below from the top of the Torchwood Tower, "I ordered surrender," the Cyberman said.

The Doctor looked at it, "They're not taking instructions," he said, as if it were obvious, "Don't you understand? You're on every street…you're in their homes. You've got their children," his tone took on an angry note, "_Of course_ they're gonna fight."

S.S

After Laila had finished explaining, all Mickey could do was stare at her, "Whoa," he laughed, "That's intense."

Laila blinked, a little stunned at his reaction, "You don't think it's strange? Or that I shouldn't be around people?" she questioned. Was she the only one who thought that? Besides Rose that is.

"No," he shook his head, smiling at her, "Always thought there was something special about ya," he nudged her, "I think it's great! And the Doctor does to, I guess, if he's let you stay…of course if he hadn't, I'd have to kill him otherwise," he watched as a small smile appeared on her face before she turned to look at the Daleks as they focused their attention on them.

"Which of you is least important?" one of the Daleks asked.

Rose eyed them oddly, "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Which of you is least important?" it repeated.

"No," she shook her head, not about to let anyone die, not even Laila. If something were to happen to her, and though she hated it, she knew her chances with the Doctor would be reduced down to nothing, "_We_ don't work like that. None of us."

"Designate the least important!"

"This is my responsibility," Rajesh spoke up, making them look at him.

Laila shook her head frantically, "No," she stood in front of him, "You don't have to do that Rajesh," she looked back at the Daleks, "We're _all_ important," she took a breath, "Now obviously you want something, what is it?"

The Daleks were silent as they watched at her, "The Daleks need information about current Earth history."

She eyed them curiously, "How much?"

"What are you doing?!" Mickey whispered to her, keeping an eye on the four Daleks.

"The Healers have been around for millions of years," she responded, "We have infinite brain space, so we remember everything, well almost everything….this'll only take a moment," she took a step towards the Daleks tentatively and placed her hand on top of one of their heads, and then stepped back next to Mickey.

"What did you do?" he asked, "You just touched them."

"I transferred my knowledge on current Earth to them," she told him, "I'd rather do that than to let someone die in the process."

Mickey frowned at that, not sure if he wanted to hear the explanation.

"Her mind speaks of a second species invading Earth infected by the superstition of ghosts," one of the Daleks said, "Dalek Thay…investigate outside."

Laila's eyes widened at hearing the name, recognition crossing her features.

S.S

A visual of the area occupied by two Cybermen appeared on Yvonne's laptop, allowing them to see what was going on, "Visual contact established."

S.S

"Establish visual contact," the first Dalek ordered, "Lower communication barrier."

A projection appeared in the area, showing Dalek Thay's point of view as me met up with the two Cybermen.

S.S

The Doctor's eyes widened as he saw the Dalek on Yvonne's laptop, complete horror in his eyes. Things were even worse than he expected. He looked down seeing his hands were clenched to the point where he could see white. He opened them and peered at the screen, feeling his anxiousness rising. He silently hoped that Laila wasn't down there with the Dalek.

"Identify yourself," he heard Dalek Thay demand, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"You will identify first," the Cybermen responded, not the ones to bow down willingly to anyone.

Cybermen _and_ Daleks, the Doctor groaned and shook his head. Out of every single alien race left in the entire universe, why'd it have to be them?!

"State your identity," Dalek Thay repeated.

"You will identify first," the Cybermen said.

"Identify!"

S.S

Rose, Mickey, Laila, and Rajesh watched the argument from their spot off screen in the sphere chamber, "It's like Stephen Hawkins meets the Speaking Clock," Mickey remarked.

"Only worse," Laila added. Just like the Doctor, she couldn't help but wonder why it had to be the Cybermen and the Daleks that had to face off. She couldn't imagine the chaos that was about to follow, nor did she really want to.

S.S

The Cybermen were quiet for a moment, "…illogical," they eventually said, "You will modify."

"Daleks do not take orders," Dalek Thay said, falling into their trap.

"You have identified as Daleks."

"Outline resembles the INFERIOR species known as 'Cybermen'."

S.S

Jackie turned to face the Doctor, frightened, "Rose said about the Daleks," she told him, "She was terrified of them. What have they done to her, Doctor? Is she dead?"

The Doctor whipped around to her with frightening suddenness, "Phone," he said through gritted teeth.

"What did you…?" she whispered, confused.

"Phone!" he nearly shouted, obviously frantic with worry. Jackie handed him her phone in a discreet manner and watched as he dialed in a number, holding the phone to his ear, his breaths coming out a little heavy.

S.S

Rose answered her phone as it rang, but didn't talk out of fear of drawing attention to herself as the Daleks and the Cybermen continued to banter.

S.S

"She's answered," the Doctor informed Jackie, who clapped her hand over her mouth at the news, so relieved, "She's alive…." Jackie watched as his expression morphed into fright, _honest_ fright, "Laila's down there with them…"

"She's alive too, yeah?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah," he nodded, "But she's down there with Daleks and Cybermen, two enemies no one would want to cross paths with."

"Why haven't they killed them?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, the thought making his stomach clench, "Well, don't complain!"

He'd been through a lot since the Time War, monster after monster…head on too…but now, _now_, he could actually say he was petrified, and not of the Daleks or the Cybermen, no, but of what could happen to Laila now that he knew where she was. He supposed it was an effect of them being…._that_. He still couldn't wrap his mind around it. How can something like that start without their knowing? He never heard of it doing something like that, ever….but then again there wasn't much known about it, so there was the possibility.

Putting it in the back of his mind for later, he looked at Jackie, "They must need them for something," he guessed, not sure if he should be relieved about that or not.

"We must protect the Genesis Ark," he heard another Dalek call out and he furrowed his brow, puzzled.

"The Genesis Ark?" he questioned to himself. What was the Genesis Ark? Better yet, what were the Daleks doing with it? He put on his 3D glasses and looked at the laptop again, seeing the Cybermen and Dalek Thay still going at each other's throat.

"Our species our similar," one of the Cybermen stated, "Though your design is inelegant."

"Daleks have no concept of elegance," Dalek Thay told it.

"This is obvious," the Cybermen said, "But consider…our technologies are compatible. Cybermen plus Daleks…together, we could upgrade the Universe."

Hearing this, both Laila and the Doctor felt a shiver run through their spines at the thought of the Cybermen and Daleks joining together. If it happened, there'd more than likely be another war: Humans vs. Cybermen vs. Daleks…it wouldn't be a pretty picture.

"You propose an alliance?" Dalek Thay questioned.

"This is correct," the Cybermen confirmed.

There was a pause, "Request denied," he eventually said, making the two Time Lords sigh in relief.

The Cybermen immediately thrust their fists out, ready to attack, "Hostile elements will be deleted," they said and began to shoot at Dalek Thay, only for the rays to simply bounce off its armor.

"Exterminate!" Dalek Thay cried before aiming at both Cybermen, shooting one after another, killing both on impact.

S.S

"Open visual link," a Cyberman in the rift chamber ordered and a moment later a screen appeared in front of it, letting them see the Daleks in the sphere chamber, "Daleks, be warned: you have declared war upon the Cybermen."

Jackie's eyes widened in horror at the claim. She didn't know much about aliens, or Daleks, or Zybermen, but she knew when something wasn't good…and that definitely wasn't good…

The Doctor peered at the screen, seeing a couple of figures standing in the back-ground. He let a small gasp escape his lips, seeing a familiar brunette amongst them. He felt a little relief, knowing she was alright, but he'd be even more okay if she was with him, or he was with her.

"This is not war," the first Dalek declared, "This is pest control."

"We have five million Cybermen," it stated, "How many are you?"

"Four."

"You would destroy the Cybermen with FOUR Daleks?!" it questioned a bit incredulously.

"We would destroy the Cybermen with ONE Dalek," the Dalek countered, "You are superior in only one respect."

"What is that?"

S.S

"You are better at dying," the first Dalek jibed, "Raise the communication barrier!"

Not a second later the screen went static just as another Dalek called out, "Wait!" he eyed the projection, "Rewind image by nine rells."

Rose, Laila, Mickey, and Rajesh watched as the image changed to a still of a shot with the Doctor in it. Laila smiled in relief, knowing he was alright.

"Identify grid seven gamma frame," the Dalek continued and they zoomed in on the Doctor, giving them a better image of him, "This male registers as enemy," Rose beamed at seeing him in the image as well and the Dalek turned to face her, "The female's heartbeat has increased."

"Yeah," Mickey shook his head, "Tell me about it."

"Identify him," the first Dalek ordered.

"All right then…" Rose smirked, "If you really want to know…that's the Doctor," her smirk widened seeing the Daleks roll backwards at the name, "Five million Cybermen…easy. One Doctor? NOW you're scared."

S.S

"Quarantine the Sphere Chamber," one of the Cybermen demanded, "Start emergency upgrading. Begin with these personnel."

A couple of Cybermen grabbed the rest of the staff, "No, you can't do this!" Yvonne cried out, struggling to get free as she was dragged away, "We surrendered! We surrendered!"

The Doctor and Jackie were about to be dragged off as well, but they were halted by another Cyberman, who gestured towards the Doctor, "This one's increased adrenaline suggests he has vital Dalek information," it reported and Jackie screamed as she was dragged away, the Cybermen keeping the Doctor in the room.

"You promised me!" Jackie shouted to the Doctor, terrified, "You gave me your word!"

"I'll think of something!" he yelled back as she was pulled out of sight, his hearts pounding in his ears.

S.S

Dalek Thay rolled into the sphere chamber, addressing the other Daleks, "Cyber threat irrelevant," he said, "Concentrate on the Genesis Ark."

The first Dalek pressed its suction arm to the side of the Genesis Ark. Mickey turned to Laila, frowning seeing the fright in her eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze, "Why are we being kept alive?" he asked.

"They might need you for something," she told him and swallowed, "But me…." she chuckled half-heartedly, "There are so many species who would give anything to get to me, to have me on their side, etcetera. They probably think it's best to keep me alive…"

S.S

The Cybermen took Yvonne and Jackie down to the curtained area where they were marching the personnel behind them to be upgraded. Jackie winced hearing all the screaming and drills, sparks flying out into the open, "What happens in there?" she asked, "What's upgrading mean? What do they do?"

"I think…" Yvonne tried to explain, sounding sick about it, "I think they remove the brain…" she swallowed, feeling a bit of bile rise up in her throat, "Sorry, um…I think they remove the brain and they put it in a suit of armour. That's what these things are. They're us."

"Next," a Cyberman called and she was dragged away.

"This is YOUR fault!" Jackie yelled after her, "You and your Torchwood. You've killed us all!"

"I did my duty for Queen and Country," she responded tearfully and wrenched herself from the Cyberman's grip, facing the area where she was to die and be reborn as a metal man, "I did my duty. I did my duty. Oh, God. I did my duty."

She walked in and Jackie turned her head at the sound of her screams and the sparks flying from behind the curtain.

S.S

The Doctor was sitting on the window still in Yvonne's office in silence, his thoughts clouded with worry. He looked up as a Cyberman approached him, "You are proof," it said.

He eyed it curiously, "Of what?" he asked.

"That emotions destroy you."

"Yeah, I am," he nodded agreeing with him and glanced to the side, catching something…interesting…out of the corner of his eye, "Mind you, I quite like hope. Hope's a good emotion. And here it comes."

The Cyberman followed his gaze to see a group of people dressed in black suits, wearing helmets and carrying guns appear out of thin air. One of them shouted to the other and shot at a row of Cybermen, immediately destroying them. The Doctor rolled out of the way and crouched in a corner in the office as the last Cyberman had his head blown off. The man responsible spoke to the Doctor, who recognized his voice immediately.

"Doctor, it's been awhile," he took off his helmet to reveal himself as Ricky. The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Mickey?" he frowned, "Or…?"

"It's Ricky," Ricky confirmed, "The Cybermen came through from our world to this one, so we decided to follow."

The Doctor stared at him, more concerned than pleased.

S.S

A Cyberman dragged Jackie as she struggled towards the curtained area, but let go of her as it spoke to another Cyberman, "Cyber Leader One has been terminated," the first one said.

"Explain," the second one requested, "Download shared files.

Jackie eyed them and took the moment to sneak away while they were distracted, "I will be upgraded to Cyber Leader," the first Cyberman declared. She dashed down the hall and towards a back stair well as fast as she could and knew it was only a matter of time before they figured out she was gone and came after her.

S.S

"Defend this room," Ricky ordered, "Chrissie, monitor communications," the Doctor put on his 3D glasses, using them to look at the group, "Kill one Cyber Leader and they just download into another. Move!"

They hurried from the room to do as they were told, leaving the Doctor alone with Ricky, "You can't just…just…just Hope form one world to another," the Doctor stumbled, not sure how to react. One part of him felt a little angry they were so willing to do such a dangerous thing and another part of him was scared for Laila and what it would mean for her, "You CAN'T."

"We just did," he smirked and looked around and frowned as if realizing something, "Hey? Where's my little hero? Thought she'd be with you, whole reason Mickey came back," he looked back at the Time Lord and chuckled seeing his slightly narrowed eyes. Well, it didn't take long for that…

"She's with Rose and Mickey," he told him a bit tensely, "So?" he smiled, wanting to get off the subject, which only made Ricky more amused, "How'd you get here?"

"Oh!" Ricky nodded, "With these," he chucked him what appeared to be a large yellow button on a neck chain.

"But that's impossible," he frowned, staring at the device, "You can't have this sort of technology."

"We've got our own Torchwood," Ricky told him, "They developed it. Do you wanna come and see?"

"NO!" he cried out, a little too late, as the button was pressed and they both vanished from the scene.

S.S

Trust me, there's more Doctor Jealousy to come along…just wait until the group gets back together. I just had to have it be Ricky; since he was the leader of their group in the show, so it made sense that he'd be the one to travel to the other world as well.

Two more reviews!

Mionerocks: Yes, for the second time, and then a third time in Season 4 and we might see him after that, I'm not for certain if I want to go that route. I love Rory, especially when he told Hitler to shut up .

The Inquirer: It won't be explained for a while, sorry.


	30. Doomsday: War

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Doomsday

Chapter 30: War

* * *

The Doctor and Ricky reappeared in a room similar to the previous, except it was considerably darker and looked as if there had been a recent struggle. Wires and equipment were thrown all about the floor, "Parallel Earth…Parallel Torchwood," Ricky explained, "Except we found out what the institute was doing and the people's republic took control."

The Doctor whipped around to look at him, franticness in his eyes, "I've gotta get back," he told him, "Rose is in danger, and her mother. _Laila_ is back there and god knows what the Cybermen," and the Daleks, he added in his mind, "are going to do to her. I need to be there!"

A mental picture of a Cyberman appeared in his head, only it was speaking with the Time Lady's voice. A shiver ran down his spine. Laila…and Rose…plus Jackie…were in another dimension and here he was standing here talking to these people!

"Jackie," a voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see Pete as he walked in with Jake behind him plus two other soldiers, "My wife in a parallel universe. And as for you, Doctor, as least this time I know who you are."

The Doctor ran over to him, "Right, yes, fine, hooray," he nodded, "But I've gotta get back," he pleaded with his eyes, "Right now."

"No," Pete shook his head, shocking the Time Lord, "You're not in charge here. This is our world, not yours. And you're gonna listen for once."

The Doctor stared at him, a sort of cold air surrounding him.

S.S

Whilst the Daleks were distracted with the Genesis Ark, Mickey showed Rose and Laila his own yellow button, "I could transport out of here," he told them, "But it only carries one…" he looked between the girls, "And I don't want to leave either of you."

"Take Rose," Laila told him, "I'll be fine."

Rose rolled her eyes. Way to play hero…

"I'm not leaving you with those things…!" Mickey whispered to her, taking a quick glance at the Daleks, "Not a chance."

"Mickey, I'm a Healer," she reminded him, "It takes something _major _to hurt us."

"Well they're pretty major!" he frowned, seeing she wasn't going to listen to him, "How would the Doctor feel if you stayed here?"

That made her pause and he smiled. He could see it in her eyes when they saw the Doctor on the projection earlier, she was ecstatic he was alive, more than she had been when he last saw the couple. She also seemed a bit happier…just a bit…

Laila lowered her gaze, thinking back to what had happened with Chloe, how scared she had been when the Doctor disappeared, and how utterly sad. She didn't want to make him feel that way again…because she knew it hurt to think you were the last again, all alone. Even worse when…

She shook her head, not finishing the thought, not wanting to think about it. It was impossible, completely so irrational…

Sighing, she looked back up and at the Daleks and the Ark, "Fine," she eventually said, "We'll all stay and try to survive this out. Now, whatever's in the Ark is waking up…" she swallowed, "There is a specific type of radiation in the TARDIS, and it's safe to breath, but when you use it for other means…things can get ugly. When they attacked Gallifrey they used it as a power supply to have an advantage over us."

Mickey placed a hand on her shoulder, knowing it hurt whenever she or the Doctor was reminded of their lost planet, "So, what's that got to do with us? Why'd they need Rose?" he asked.

"Either one of you would work," she corrected, not exactly happy with the thought.

"But why would they build something they can't open themselves?"

"The technology is stolen," the first Dalek interjected, "The Ark is not of Dalek design."

Rose furrowed her brow, befuddled, "Then who built it?" she asked.

"The Time Lords," it said, stunning them, especially Laila, "This is all that survives of their Home World."

Mickey glanced at Laila and it didn't take a genius to figure out she hadn't a clue what they were going on about, and if she didn't know, what did that mean?

"What's inside?" Rose continued to question.

"The future," it simply said and that scared her more than she even knew.

S.S

The Doctor was pressed against the white expanse of the wall in the parallel Torchwood, a blank expression on his face as he appeared to be trying to listen to something. Pete stood behind him, watching his movements, "When you left this world, you warned us there'd be more Cybermen. So we sealed them inside the factory."

The Doctor stepped away from the way, a thoughtful expression replacing his blank look.

"Except people argued," Jake added, "Said they were living. We should HELP them."

"And the debate went on," Pete nodded, "But all that time, the Cybermen made plans. Infiltrated this version of Torchwood, mapped themselves onto your world, and then vanished."

"When was this?" the Doctor asked as they strolled back down the room, "It's taken them three years to cross the void, but we can pop to and fro in a second. Must be the sheer mass of five million Cybermen crossing all at once," unless it was something else then he'd have to ask Laila about it, since the Healers WERE the ones to seal the wounds in time. His hearts constricted painfully at the thought of the Time Lady, he missed her, wasn't afraid to admit that now like before.

"Yeah," Pete said, knocking him from his thoughts, "Mickey said you'd rattle off that sort of stuff. He went ahead first. Any chance to go and find Laila and Miss Rose Tyler."

"She's your daughter," he told the man, "You do know that? Did Mickey explain?"

"She's not mine. She's the child of a dead man," they reached a window and looked down at the scenery below, "Look at it. A world of peace. They're calling this 'The Golden Age'."

The Doctor glanced at him, "Who's the President now?"

"A woman called Harriet Jones."

Figures, "I'd keep an eye on her," he warned.

"But it's a lie," Pete looked at him, "Temperatures have risen by two degrees in the past six months. The ice caps are melting. They're saying all this is gonna be flooded. That's not just global warming, is it?"

"No."

"It's the breach."

"I've been trying to tell you," the Doctor told him, a little irked it took this long, "Travel between parallel worlds is impossible. Laila, the people who are like her died out a long time ago and they sealed all the wounds in time and space for a reason, and now one or maybe more, are being opened. The Daleks broke down the walls with the sphere…"

"Daleks?" Pete blinked, not sure what that was.

"Then the Cybermen travelled across," he continued, seemingly not hearing him, "Then you lot…those disks…every time you jump from one reality to another, you rip a hole in the universe. You cause her pain because the Healers are connected to all of this," he shook his head, "This planet is starting to boil. Keep going and BOTH worlds will fall into the Void."

"But you can stop it," he stared at the Time Lord, "The famous Doctor….? And Laila? You both can seal the breach?"

"Leaving five million Cybermen stranded on my Earth," the Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"That's your problem," Pete remarked, striking a chord in the other man, "I'm protecting this world, and this world only."

The Doctor laughed softly, almost a bit sinisterly, "Hm…Pete Tyler…I knew you when you were dead," he said, making the man raise his own eyebrow, "Now here you are, fighting the fight…alone…" he took a step closer to him, "There is a chance…back on my world…Jackie Tyler might still be alive."

"My wife died," he shook his head.

"Her husband died," he shrugged. "Good match."

"There's more important things at stake," he looked up at him, pleading now, "Doctor…help us."

The Doctor backed up a bit, "What? Close the breach? Stop the Cybermen? Defeat the Daleks? Do you believe I can do that? Laila?"

"Yes," he nodded confidently.

"Maybe that's all I need," he grinned, "Off we go, then!"

S.S

Once the Doctor, Ricky, Jake, and Pete appeared back in the other Torchwood, the Doctor immediately rushed to the phone, "First of all, I need to make a phone call," he told them, "You don't mind?"

"You two," Jake nodded to the soldiers, "Guard the door."

Pete watched on as the Doctor hurriedly dialed a number on the phone in Yvonne's office.

S.S

Jackie was running down the stairs when her phone rang, "Help me!" she cried into the receiver, "Oh, my God, help me."

S.S

The Doctor smiled a little, for once relieved to hear her voice, "Jackie, you're alive! Listen…" he winced as she screeched hysterically at him.

"They tried to download me by I ran away!" she told him.

"Listen, tell me," he tried again, "Where are you?"

"I don't know! Staircase," she responded.

"Yeah, which one?" he continued to question, "Is there any…any sort of sign? Anything to identify it?"

"Yes!" she shouted, "A fire extinguisher!"

He rolled his eyes at that, "Yeah, that helps…."

"Oh, wait a minute…" there was a pause, "It says 'N3'"

"North corner," he nodded, "Staircase 3. Just keep low, we're trying our best."

"No, don't leave me!" she cried out.

"I've gotta go, I'm sorry," he quickly told her and put the phone down before he turned to face Pete, "Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Tyler."

"She's not my wife," Pete said, exasperated.

"I was at the wedding," he eyed him accusingly, "You got her name wrong," he dashed over to Jake and Ricky, taking their guns off them, "Now, then Jake-y boy, Rick-y boy, if I can open up the bonding chamber on this thing, it could work on polycarbide."

"What's polycarbide?" Jake asked.

He just smiled, "Skin of a Dalek."

S.S

A white sheet of paper attached to a stick popped around the corner and waved comically in the air, the Doctor stepping out a second later, "Sorry," he spoke, gaining the attention of the Cybermen a short ways down the corridor, "No white flag. I only had a sheet of A4. Same difference."

One of the Cybermen held its fist out at him, ready to shoot, "Do you surrender?"

"I surrender," he nodded, marching forwards to meet the Cyberman, "I surrender. Unto you," they were nose to nose, "A very good idea."

He grinned.

S.S

The Daleks backed away from the Genesis Ark, "Final stage of awakening," one of the Daleks announced.

The first Dalek turned to face the group, "Your handprint will open the Ark."

"Well tough, 'cos I'm not doing it," Rose shook her head.

"Obey or the male will die."

She narrowed her eyes, noting how it left Laila out of that threat, but she moved forwards for the sake of Mickey, "I can't let them," she said.

"Rose, don't," Mickey called to her. Laila watched her, silently, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Place your hand upon the casket," the first Dalek ordered.

"All right!" she shouted at it, irate, "You're gonna kill us anyway, so what the hell?" she glanced at the Ark hesitantly before she looked back at the Dalek, "If you um…escaped the Time War…don't you want to know what happened?"

"Place your hand…"

"What happened to the Emperor?" she interrupted and smirked as they halted and stared at her.

"The Emperor survived," it said.

"'Till he met me…" her smirk grew wider, "'cos if these are gonna be my last words, then you're gonna listen. I met the Emperor. And I took the Time Vortex and I pulled it into his head and turned him into dust," Laila's eyes widened at that bit of information and frowned, a concerned look appearing on her face, "Do you get that? The God of all Daleks…and I destroyed him," she laughed and gave them a gloating smile.

The Daleks were silent for a moment and Laila took a step forwards, already knowing what was coming, "You will be EXTERMINATED!" the first Dalek shouted, furious.

"Oh now," a voice called from the doorway and they all turned to see the Doctor standing there in his 3D specs, "Hold on, wait a minute."

"Alert, alert…you are the Doctor," the Dalek reported.

Rose smiled with delight whilst Laila just stared at him and then turned her head as he sauntered in.

"Sensors report he is unarmed," Dalek Thay informed.

"That's me," the Doctor smiled lightly, "Always."

"Then you are powerless," the first Dalek stated.

"Not me," he took off his glasses with a flourish, "Never," he looked at Rose, "How are you?"

"Oh, same old, you know," she grinned, so happy to see him.

"Good!" he smiled, "And Mickity-McMickey!" he turned towards the man and they bumped fist, "Nice to see ya!"

"And you, boss," Mickey nodded at him and watched as he turned his focus to Laila, a different expression on his face. A small smirk made its way across his face.

"Laila?" the Doctor walked towards her, his eyes wavering with a hidden emotion.

"I'm sorry," she interjected, making him frown, "I know you must've worried about where I was…I wish I could explain, but…"

She was cut off as the Time Lord pulled her into his arms, something he had desperately wanted to do, "I know," he told her, and honestly he did, "I know there are things you can't explain, but we'll figure them out…together…" he felt her wrap her own arms around him at that, returning the hug.

Mickey smiled at the moment whilst Rose just scowled and crossed her arms. He should've figured the two would grow closer to more time they spend together, but it didn't hurt to worry. However, he figured it would take a whole lot more to completely heal the Time Lady of her worries and trauma, but he trusted the Doctor would do the trick…if not…

"Social interaction will cease!" one of the Daleks called out and the Doctor stepped away from Laila as both Time Lords frowned at them.

"How did you survive the Time War?" the first Dalek questioned.

"By fighting," the Doctor responded seriously, taking a hold of Laila's hand, "On the front line," Mickey turned his head at that, having not heard that before, "I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that. But you lot…ran away!"

"We had to survive."

"The last our Daleks in existence," he shook his head, "So what's so special about YOU?"

"Doctor, they've got names," Rose whispered to him, trying not to look at his and Laila's hands, "And Daleks don't have names, do they? One of them said they…"

"I am Dalek Thay," Dalek Thay introduced.

"Dalek Sek," the first Dalek nodded.

"Dalek Jast."

"Dalek Caan."

The Doctor peered at Laila to see a small smile on her face, and he knew she'd already figured out, she was brilliant like that, "So THAT's it! At last…the Cult of Skaro," he said, seemingly delighted "I thought you were just a legend."

"Who are they?" Rose asked.

"A secret order," he said, strolling around, his hand still in Laila's, "Above and beyond the Emperor himself. Their job was to imagine. Think as the enemy thinks. Even dared to have names," he eyed them distastefully, "All to find new ways of killing."

"But that thing," Mickey said, gesturing towards the Ark, "They said it was yours. I mean, Time Lords. They built it. What does it do?"

"I don't know," he furrowed his brow, examining it, "Never seen it before," he looked at Laila and she shook her head, having not seen or heard of it before.

"But it's….Time Lord," Rose said.

He shrugged, "Both sides had secrets," he turned to the Daleks, "What is it? What have you done?"

"Time Lord science will restore Dalek supremacy," Dalek Sek said.

That made both Laila and the Doctor frown, "What does that mean?" the Doctor questioned, "What sort of Time Lord science? What do you mean?"

"They said one touch from a time traveler will wake it up," Rose recalled aloud.

"Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do," he nodded and moved in closer to Dalek Sek, "Touch. Sealed inside your casing. Not feeling anything…ever….from birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage," he shook his head, mock-sadly, "Completely alone. And that explains your voice. No wonder you scream," he felt a squeeze on his hand and shook himself out of his reverie, sending a small smile in Laila's direction.

"The Doctor will open the Ark!" Dalek Sek cried out and the Doctor laughed contemptuously.

"The Doctor will not," he countered.

"We have other methods, you are only the first," its eye stalk swiveled till it landed on Laila, who stared at them wide-eyed.

"What?" she blinked, "I'm not human, nor completely Time Lord, how can I…?"

"The Healers hold an infinite energy source," Dalek Thay stated and she backed up a little, remembering exactly why she didn't particularly like the Daleks, "With you the future can become stronger."

The Doctor stepped in front of Laila protectively, shielding her from the Daleks, "You definitely will not use her," he told them, determination in his eyes.

"You have no way of resisting," Dalek Sek retorted.

"Well…you're wrong as always, but…" he pulled the sonic out of his pocket, "There is this."

"A sonic probe?"

"That's 'screwdriver'," he corrected.

"It is harmless," Dalek Sek remarked scornfully.

"Oh yes," the Doctor grinned, "Harmless is just the word. That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I will tell you what it does do…it is VERY good at opening doors," he activated the sonic and immediately the doors exploded inwards. Ricky, Jake, and their men rushed in, firing their guns at the Daleks.

"Delete! Delete! Delete! Delete!" the Cybermen called out.

"Alert!" Dalek Caan cried, "Casing impact, casing impact!"

The Doctor, Rose, and Rajesh had flung towards the floor, to avoid the guns, "Rose, Laila, get out!" the Doctor raised his voice over the chaos. Rose made her way towards the door first, Laila behind her.

"Fire power insufficient!" Dalek Sek shouted, "Fire power insufficient!"

Pete helped Rose to her feet and she stared at him in surprised, but knew there was no time for explanations. They, along with Laila, made their way towards the door. Mickey picked up his gun and started to fire as well.

"Daleks will be deleted," a Cyberman said, "Delete! Delete!"

The Doctor managed to reach Rose, Pete, and Laila where they stood in the doorway, out of harm's way. Rose frowned as he immediately took a hold of Laila's hand, his previous frantic expression calming. She hated it, really, really hated it. She wanted to scream, to wake up from whatever dream this was. She could feel it…even though she didn't want to admit it…she could feel herself losing the Doctor.

"Mickey," she yelled into the room, seeing him in the midst of the havoc, "Come on!"

"Adapt to weaponry!" Dalek Thay said.

"Fire power restored!" Dalek Sek stated.

The Daleks began to fire at the Cybermen, immediately destroying them. Jake and Ricky managed to get to the door, but Mickey lost his footing and accidently brushed his hand against the Genesis Ark, leaving a red hot mark there, before he dashed towards the door.

"Cybermen primary target," Dalek Sek declared.

Mickey winced in pain as he looked at his hand. The rest of Ricky and Jake's men managed to slip through the door before it closed, sealing both the Daleks and Cybermen inside.

S.S

Yes! The group is back together and the Doctor has found Laila! Now we'll get to see more Doctor Jealousy, especially now that Ricky and Mickey are both here, hehe. We're going to see the difference I mention show up really soon…really, really, soon…we'll even see something happen with Laila ;)

Hm, I wonder what the Daleks meant by what they said about Laila…it almost sounded like a compliment, which if you receive a compliment from a Dalek…you'd better run.

One more chapter then the story will end and we'll move onto Donna for a while and then we'll get Martha for a Season. I'm happy, I have a couple of things planned for the Season coming up…so much stuff…so many possibilities…

Three reviews, thanks guys!

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: I love the sound of thunder and rain, but that kind of weather makes me sleepy –shrugs- Nevertheless, thank you! We'll be getting some Doctor jealousy soon…

Mionerocks: Thank you!

The Inquirer: I don't know, she might think it's weird, we'll see her reaction to some other things, including that one, and some others. Well, knowing Mickey and Ricky they're both going to develop a habit of messing with the Doctor.


	31. Doomsday: Back to Hell

Note: I've been meaning to do this, but I keep forgetting to. The melody that Laila sung at the end of The Satan Pit is up on YouTube in case anyone wants to view it It's called the Healing Generation.

* * *

Doctor Who: The Seventh Word

Doomsday

Chapter 31: Back to Hell

* * *

Inside of the sphere chamber, the Daleks finished off two more of the Cybermen, "Cybermen have been exterminated," Dalek Sek stated, "Daleks are supreme."

"The Genesis Ark is primed," Dalek Jast reported.

"The Ark needs area of thirteen square miles. Move!"

The Ark began to glide smoothly across the floor as they carried on with their plan, "Genesis Ark mobile!" Dalek Jast said.

S.S

The Doctor, Laila, Rose, Mickey, and Rajesh ran down a corridor, "I just fell," Mickey tried to reason with the Time Lords, referring to the Ark, "I didn't mean it!"

"Mickey, without us, they'd have opened up by force," the Doctor told him, assuring him it was fine, "To do that, they'd have blown up the sun. You've done us a favour!" he grinned, "Now, run!"

S.S

Jackie hurried down a flight of stairs, coming to an abrupt halt as she spotted a couple of Cybermen approaching from the bottom of the stairs. She turned and ran back up again, exiting the stairwell. She found herself in a corridor, taking no time for a breath before she started up running again. A yelp escaped her lips as she came face to face with two Cybermen.

"You will be upgraded," one of the Cybermen told her.

"No," she whimpered, frightened, "But you can't! Please…"

Suddenly, the Cybermen were shot from behind. They fell to the ground, dead, to reveal Pete aiming a gun behind them accompanied by the others. Jackie squinted through the smoke clouding them, confused, then her eyes widened as it cleared, "Pete!" she gasped and Rose's hand went to her mouth.

"Hello, Jacks," Pete greeted, staring at her.

"I said there were ghosts, but that's not fair," Jackie remarked, seemingly annoyed, "Why him?"

"I'm not a ghost," he deadpanned.

"But you're dead," she blinked, furrowing her brow, "You died twenty years ago, Pete."

The Doctor stepped forwards at that, "It's Pete from a different Universe. There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision we make creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where…" he was pulled back and looked over to see Laila shaking her head at him.

"I think that's enough," she told him and he looked at the couple in the front and nodded, doing so for once.

"Oh…." Jackie gazed at Pete, raking over him with her eyes, "You look old."

"You don't," he complimented.

"How can you be standing there?"

"Just got lucky…" he shrugged, "Lived my life. You were left on your own. You didn't marry again, or…?"

"There was never anyone else," she responded quietly. It was the truth, she never did find anyone else after he'd gone. No one else interested her, "Twenty years, though. Look at me…I never left that flat. Did nothing with myself."

"Brought HER up," Pete nodded at Rose, "Rose Tyler," the Doctor, Laila, and Mickey smiled at that, "That's not bad."

"Yeah…"

"In my world, it worked," he told her, "All those daft little plans of mine. They worked. Made me rich."

"I don't care about that," she waved him off, and then paused, "How rich?"

"Very."

"I don't care about that," another pause, "How very?"

Pete laughed and Rose rolled her eyes while the Doctor and Laila smiled.

"Thing is though, Jacks," he began, "you're…you're not my wife. I'm sorry, but you're not. I mean, we both…" Jackie nodded and he looked at her, fighting it, "You know, it's just sort of…" he gave in and took a step forwards, "Oh, come here."

They ran to meet each other and Jackie started to cry. He swept her off the ground in a huge hug. The Doctor watched the two and his gaze travelled to Laila, a thoughtful look on his face.

S.S

The Daleks burst through the doors of the factory floor and to meet rows of Cybermen, "Exterminate!" Dalek Sek cried out as they moved towards the metal men.

"Delete!" the Cybermen chanted before they all began to fire at each other. The Cybermen's rays bounced off the Dalek's armour, but the Dalek's beams were a lot more effective. Surrounding them were human soldiers, who were shooting at both parties.

"Emergency…" a Cyberman spoke, "All units will converge on the Torchwood Tower."

S.S

Cybermen marched out of people's homes and onto the street and started in the direction of Canary Wharf.

"Repeat…all Cybermen to Torchwood," the Cyberman said.

Frightened, curious, but relieved familes stood outside their houses as they watched the Cybermen leave.

S.S

The Doctor opened the door to where the battle between the Cybermen and the Daleks was taking place and peered into the lab. He felt a squeeze on his hand and turned his head to see Laila standing there, staring into space, mumbling beneath her breath.

"Whoa," Mickey blinked, seeing a bluish hue cover the Time Lord.

"What…?" Rajesh stared, awed. In all his years at Torchwood, he'd never seen _that_ happen, but then again he had never encountered a Healer before either.

"It's a shield," Laila responded, letting go of the Doctor's hand and taking a step back, "Actually it was used to cover and heal soldiers the Healers helped after battles," she looked at the Doctor, "So there's a least likely chance you'll get hurt…"

The Doctor stared at her for a moment then let a smile grace his face, "Brilliant," he said before he whipped around to face the door. After a moment of waiting he dived into the room, watched anxiously by Rose who winced every time a beam passed near him, not really trusting Laila's abilities. Laila watched as he ran through the battlefield, a blank look on her face.

She couldn't show any emotion, if she did, she knew she'd break down. The scene reminded her so much of it, but yet it hurt more when she replaced the Doctor with him. She didn't need to wonder why.

"Come on, please," she heard Rose whisper from beside her and she looked up to see the Doctor, with the two Magnaclamps, run back towards them. She moved out his way when he safely reached him, but placed a hand on his shoulder to remove the shield. He smiled at her before putting on his 3D specs and opening the door again, peering around it.

"Override roof mechanism," Dalek Sek ordered and slowly, but surely, the roof began to open, "El-ev-ate."

"What're they doing?" Rose asked as she too watched the scene, "Why'd they need to get outside?!"

"Time Lord Science…" the Doctor shook his head, still baffled, "WHAT Time Lord science?" he took his specs off, "What is it?" Dalek Sek elevated through the ceiling into the open air with the Ark just as he shut the door.

S.S

The Doctor, with Laila alongside him, shouted back to the others as he ran, "We've gotta see what it's doing, we've gotta go back up!" he took a hold of Laila's hand, "Come on! All of you! Top floor!"

"That's forty-five floors up!" Jackie yelled back at him, "Believe me, I've done 'em all."

"We could always take the lift…" Jake said as he popped his head out of the nearby lift.

S.S

As the Dalek rose up to the side of Canary Wharf, the lift rose up to the top floor, "The Genesis Ark will open," Dalek Sek said and it did to reveal another Dalek inside. Slowly it began to turn…

S.S

The Doctor, Laila, and the others stepped out of the lift on the top floor and rushed to the window, the Doctor dumping the Magnaclamps on Yvonne's desks as he ran by. They watched as the Genesis Ark spun, Daleks shot out of it, more and more of them. The Doctor's hand tightened around Laila's as they both watched in horror, "Time Lord Science…it's bigger on the inside," he realized, a terrible pit growing in his stomach.

"Did Time Lords put those Daleks in there?" Mickey asked, "What for?"

"It's a prison ship."

"How many Daleks?" Rose questioned, a little afraid of the answer.

"Millions."

S.S

The Daleks spread out across London and the Cybermen marched down a street, stopping one at a time before they began to fire up into the air at them. Of course, it had no effect on the Daleks, "Exterminate all life forms below. Ex-ter-min-ate!" Dalek Sek cried and he, along with the others, fired at the terrified people running below them.

S.S

Pete walked away from the window, not needing to see anymore, "I'm sorry, but you've had it," he said, "This world's gonna crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home. Jacks, take this," he tossed her one of the yellow buttons.

She looked at him, incredulous, "But they're destroying the City!" she frowned.

"I'd forgotten you could argue," he said affectionately and looped the button around her neck himself, "It's not just London, it's the whole world," he took her face in his hands, "But there's another world, just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe. As long as the Doctor and Laila close the breach. Doctor? Laila?"

The Doctor turned from the window with his 3D specs on and a big grin. Laila eyed him and shook her head, amusedly, "Oh, we're ready," the Time Lord assured him, "We've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood!" he dashed over to a computer, "Slam it down and close off both universes."

"Reboot systems," the computer stated.

"But we can't just leave," Rose argued, staring at him, "What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen…?"

The Doctor stood to his feet, "They're a part of the problem," he said, "And THAT makes them a part of the solution. Oh yes!" Rose laughed nervously, noting how he wasn't answering her question. He turned to face the others, seeming to have acquired a new lease of life, "Well?! Isn't anyone gonna ask? What is it with the glasses?" he placed his hand on Laila's mouth, knowing she already knew, and took it off to see her pouting, her eyes averted from him, which made him grin more brightly. Honestly, she was just _too_ adorable when she did that…

"What is it with the glasses?" Rose asked and was smiling, just a little, despite the adoring look he was sending towards the Time Lady.

"I can SEE!" he answered, looking away from Laila, "That's what! 'Cos we've got two separate worlds, but in-between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void. That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen travelled through the Void to get here! And you lot…" he shook his head, "One world to another, via the Void! Oh, I like that. Via the Void! Look!" he pulled off the glasses and put them onto Rose's face, "I've been through it. Do you see?"

He dodged about so that Rose could see and with the aid of the glasses she saw that he was surrounded by floating green and red particles. She reached out to try and touch them.

"Reboot in three minutes," the computer announced.

"Void stuff," the Doctor said and Laila shook her head, not bothering to tell him that wasn't what it was called.

"Like um…" Rose thought for a moment, "Background radiation!"

"That's it," the Doctor nodded, "Look at the others."

Rose turned to look at Jake, Mickey, Jackie, Pete, Rajesh, and even Laila. Jackie, Rajesh, and Laila were the only ones not surrounded by the 'Void stuff'.

"The only ones who haven't been through the Void…your mother, first time she's looked normal in her life…"

Rose chuckled at the remark.

"Oi!" Jackie glared at him.

"And Rajesh, because well he hasn't," he continued and dashed over towards the white area and Rose followed him, "The Daleks lived inside the Void. They're bristling with it. Cybermen…all of them. I just open the Void…end of verse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside."

"PULLING them all in," Rose nodded just as enthusiastically.

"Pulling them all in!" he smiled.

"Sorry…" Ricky frowned, "What's the Void?"

"The Darkness," Laila answered, "Or Hell as the Healers called it."

"So…you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen back to Hell," Mickey summarized and glanced at Ricky, a small smirk on his face, "Man, I told you they were good."

"Knew it," Ricky responded, "_My_ little hero saved me," Laila raised an eyebrow at that while the Doctor narrowed his, "Teaches you to live life to the fullest and spend your life bringing justice and all that…"

Laila nodded, understanding the gist of it, "That's a good thing to go by," she smiled at him, not noticing the Doctor's eyes narrow even further nor the smirks that appeared on both Ricky and Mickey's faces. Pete rolled his eyes at the duo.

"But it's…" Rose spoke up, making the Doctor smile a little at the interruption as it made Laila turn from Ricky, "Like you said, we've ALL got Void stuff. Me too, 'cos we went to that parallel world," she flexed her fingers, examining the particles floating around them and pulled the glasses off her face as the Doctor stood in front of her, "We're all contaminated. We'll get pulled in."

"That's why you've gotta go," he told her and Laila smiled sadly, knowing just the idea of losing his companion had to hurt. Plus she knew that he and Rose were pretty close, so that added to the pain.

"Reboot in two minutes," the computer stated as Rose stared at him, uncomprehending.

"Back to Pete's world," he carried and pointed at Pete, "Hey, we should call it that…'Pete's World'," then looked back at Rose, "I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side."

Rose continued to stare at him, still not sure what was going on.

"And then you close it," Pete raised an eyebrow, "For good?"

"The breath itself is soaked in Void Stuff, in the end it'll close itself. And that's it. Kaput."

Rose blinked, realization flashing in her eyes, "But you stay on THIS side….?" she frowned, not liking that idea, not at all. Especially if it meant…

"But you'll get pulled in," Mickey added and glanced at Laila, "What about Laila? Won't that be endangering her as well?" he watched as the Time Lord's eyes lowered for a moment before they travelled to Laila, who was staring at him as well.

"That's a…a different case," he eventually said and held her gaze for a moment before averting it as Laila just continued to stare at him before looking away as well, seemingly struggling with something, "And we have these…" he gestured towards the Magnaclamps, "We'll just have to hold on tight…we've been doing it all of our lives."

"I'm supposed to go," Rose said, bringing back the topic.

"Yeah," he simply nodded.

"To another world, and then it gets sealed off," she frowned as his apparent lack of concern, at least to her that's what it seemed to be.

"Yeah," he repeated and walked off to another computer set, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

"Forever," she laughed at the absurdity of the idea, "That's not gonna happen."

She couldn't go, no, no, no, no, no. She promised herself she would be with the Doctor forever, that she'd never settle down. If she went to the other world, then she'd have no choice but to…there wasn't another Doctor. She could see it in the Doctor's eyes whenever he looked at Laila, when he finally saw her after she had apparently disappeared, the adoration, the admiration, the care, the understanding, the…the love. It hurt, it hurt a lot that he looked at the Time Lady like that but never her. Never her. She couldn't leave, she had to get him back, she just had to…

"We haven't got time to argue," Pete said briskly, bringing her out of her thoughts, "The plan works, we go in," he looked at Rose, "You to. ALL of us."

"No!" Rose shook her head, "I'm not leaving him!"

Jackie crossed her arms, "I'm not going without her."

"Oh, my God," he sighed exasperated, "We're GOING."

"I've had twenty years without you, so button it," she retorted, "I'm _not_ leaving her."

Laila looked between the three, a sad expression on her face.

Rose whipped around to look at her mother, "You've GOT to," she told her. She didn't want her mom to risk her life just to stay with her, she would be fine with the Doctor, just like she always was…

"Well, that's tough!" Jackie raised her voice, determined. She had already lost Pete once, and here he was again, what were the chances that she'd find another Rose somewhere? Slim to none. She wasn't losing her daughter, not here, not now, not ever.

"Mum…" Rose sighed.

"Reboot in one minute," the computer announced.

"I've have a life with you for nineteen years," she continued, her voice trembling with suppressed tears, "But then I met the Doctor and…all the things I've seen him do for me. For you. For all of us. For the whole…stupid planet and every planet out there. He does it alone, mum."

Mickey, though he agreed with what she said about the Doctor, couldn't help but frown at how she didn't mention Laila not once in that. He knew for a fact that she did as much as the Time Lord could, probably even more, she was incredible like that. What would it take for Rose to see the same?

He looked over to see the Doctor standing behind her, sorrow in his eyes, as he silent took a yellow button out of his pocket. The Time Lord caught his gaze and he nodded, showing he was approving of it.

"But not anymore," Rose continued and backed away from Jackie, "'Cos now he's got me," the Doctor looped the chain around Rose's neck, "What're you…?"

Pete quickly pressed the button and they all disappeared, leaving the Doctor and Laila standing in the room. Laila walked over to the Doctor and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, which he returned, as he stared at the spot where Rose was.

S.S

The others appeared on parallel Torchwood and Rose looked around, seeing where she was, "On no you don't," she whispered under her breath, "He's not doing that to me again."

She pressed down on the button and disappeared again.

S.S

The Doctor held onto Laila, needing the comfort. Despite knowing Rose longer and spending all the time he did with her, he could say that the thought of losing Laila hurt more than previously thought. That was one of the reasons why he couldn't let her leave with the others, even though it was a bit selfish of him.

His head lifted up slightly and he stared, wide-eyed as Rose appeared back in the room with them, "I think this is the on switch…" she said.

S.S

Pete snatched Jackie's button away from her before she could press it to follow Rose, "But I've gotta go back!" she cried, trying to reach for it.

"The Doctor said every time we use one of these, it damages the whole world and Laila, who is the only one capable of closing those wounds. Now THAT's IT."

"She's your daughter!" Jackie frowned, glaring at him, feeling herself starting to shake.

"She's your daughter," he shook his head, "Not mine," he walked away, snatching Mickey's button away as he passed by him. Ricky and Rajesh followed after him, leaving Mickey and Jackie in the room.

"Mickey, tell him," she looked at him, "Tell him, Mickey! MICKEY!"

Mickey didn't respond to her, lost in his own thoughts. He felt sad, sad for Rose as he realized how lost she was…how she didn't seem to realize she was choosing this strange man over her own family, the people who'd been there for her since day one.

She didn't realize that she was going back to something she never had in the first place. He could see the same thing she probably saw in the Doctor's eyes, and denied, whenever he looked at Laila now: love. It was the same way he used to look at Rose before he realized where she and he stood, but yet it was different somehow…just a bit stronger. When you loved someone, it was hard to let them go...he learned that the hard way.

Despite that, he knew that's what Laila needed, someone to love her like no one else did and more. He could only hope the Doctor could manage that…

S.S

The Doctor let go of Laila and grabbed Rose roughly by the shoulders, stooping down so he could look her straight into her eyes, "Once the breach collapses, that's IT. You will never be able to see her again. Your own mother!"

"I made my choice a long time ago," Rose said calmly, though her voice trembled a bit, "And I'm never gonna leave you."

The Time Lord stared at her for a moment, stunned as he realized something, and immediately he released his grip. Laila had her back towards them, feeling the moment needed its privacy.

"So what can I do to help?" Rose asked, as if she had done no wrong.

"Systems rebooted," the computer said, "Open access."

She stubbornly helped onto the Doctor's narrowed gaze before he finally caved, "Those co-ordinates over there, set them all at six," he pointed and she walked over towards the computer, "And hurry up."

Rose leaned over the computer, taking her button from around her neck and glancing at the Doctor, frowning as he started to whisper something to Laila, who shook her head at him.

S.S

Jackie pushed Pete away from her, "Get away from me!" she shouted at him and broke down into tears, her hands over her eyes. She couldn't lose Rose…she just couldn't…

S.S

"We've got Cybermen on the way up," Rose informed the Doctor, but Laila heard it as well.

"How many floors down?" the Doctor questioned, running over to look as Laila stared at the blank white wall ahead of them, a distant look in her eyes.

"Just one."

The screen showed the Cybermen marching up the stairwell towards their area.

S.S

"We will retreat through the breach," one of the Cybermen on the stairwell proclaimed, "Regain the Home World."

Then a Cyberman appeared at the stop of the stairs, pointing a gun at the others, "You will not pass," it said, Yvonne's voice discernible through the Cyber-tones.

"What is the meaning of this," the Cyberman questioned.

"You will NOT pass," Cyber-Yvonne repeated and she pulled the trigger, destroying the other Cybermen with a bright ray of white light, "I did my duty for Queen and Country. I did my duty for Queen and County. I did my duty for Queen and Country," she shed a single oily-black tear.

S.S

The Doctor tapped in a command on the laptop, "Levers operational," the computer stated and he grinned.

"That's more like it, bit of a smile!" Rose grinned as well, "The old team…!"

He stared at her for a moment before he picked up a Magnaclamp and walked over to her, "Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake!" he said.

"Which one's Shiver?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm Shake," he nodded and handed her the Magnaclamp before he walked over to one side of the wall and attached the other one while she attached hers on the opposite side. He looked at Laila, to see her still staring at the white expanse, "Laila?" he furrowed his brow and walked over to her, "Laila?"

He heard her breath in sharply and then she looked up at him, trying and failing to hide the slight fear in her eyes, "Let's get this show on the road," she smiled a little before she walked over to where he placed the Magnaclamp and took a hold of it. He stared at her while she did so, a concerned look on his face and decided to talk to her about it later. He looked at Rose to see her watching them.

"Press the red button," he told her as he moved over towards the Magnaclamp, preparing himself for what was coming.

Rose pressed the red button and the effect was almost immediate.

S.S

"Breach active," a Dalek cried, still in the air, "It is the Doctor! Exterminate him!"

Four Daleks swooped towards Torchwood Tower, with cries of 'exterminate!'

S.S

"When it starts," the Doctor explained to Rose at a very fast speed, "Just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are stepped in Void Stuff. Are you ready?" they got into their positions beside the levers.

"So are they," Rose said, staring out the window. The Doctor and Laila looked to see the Daleks appear at the window.

"Let's do it!" he nodded and they pushed the levers upwards before hurriedly taking hold of the Magnaclamps. The Doctor kept his eyes on Laila, whose own were downcast. He placed his hand on top of hers, making her look up at him. He shot her a reassuring smile and she returned a little one, tightening her grip on the clamp.

"Online," the computer said and the area was filled with the white light once more, but this time there was also the sound of a strong wind. The Daleks were sucked through the window, smashing through the glass as they were pulled into the light and back to the Void. Rose, the Doctor, and Laila held onto the clamps tightly.

"The breach is open!" the Doctor shouted over the wind, "Into the Void! Back to Hell! Ha!"

S.S

Cybermen all over the world are lifted into the air and they zoomed across the land towards Torchwood Tower, along with the millions of Daleks, all shrieking, all powerless. They hurtled into the Void.

S.S

"Emergency temporal shift!" Dalek Sek cried before he vanished. The Genesis Ark was also sucked into the building. People down below, safe from the vacuum came out of their hiding spots to watch.

S.S

Rose smiled across at the Doctor and frowned seeing his attention on Laila and she squinted to see his lips moving as he talked to the Time Lady. Suddenly there was a small explosion of sparks and the lever on her side moved back towards the 'off' position. Her frown deepened.

"Offline," the computer said.

"Turn it on!" the Doctor shouted over to her. Around them the suction started to ease. Rose reached for the lever whilst trying to maintain her grip on the clamp, but the distance was just too great. She strained to reach it, eventually falling onto it. The Doctor watched anxiously as she struggled to push the lever back up.

"I've gotta get it upright!" Rose yelled over to him and she managed to push the lever upwards, groaning with the effort.

"Online and locked."

The suction increased once more, but now she had nothing to hold on to the lever.

"Rose," the Doctor shouted and Laila noted the desperation in his voice, "Hold on!"

The vacuum pulled at Rose, making near impossible for her to keep her grip. She winced and cried out as she pushed against the odds.

"HOLD ON!" he was now screaming, his hearts thumping fast in his chest.

Rose moaned and he stared at her, terror in his eyes, powerless, but reached out to her in vain. With one last cry her grip slipped and she fell towards the void just as Laila whipped her head around to her, the Time Ladies eyes a crystalized sort of white now and he raised on hand towards Rose, keeping her other hand gripped on the clamp.

Rose felt herself floating and he had her eyes closed when she suddenly stopped. She peeked one eye open and stared, shocked, as she saw she was face to face with Laila. She turned her head, her eye-widened seeing the woman on the other side as well.

"Controlled illusion," the one facing her spoke, "Hurts like hell, but then again…I have to try…just another moment…"

Rose stared at her silently and then over towards the Doctor as he screamed again, only this one hurt her heart.

"LAILA!" the Time Lord shouted as the Time Lady started to lose her own grip on the clamp.

"I have to…" she whispered and her voice echoed around the room, "I have to try…" she winced and gasped as a shiver of pain shot of up her spine, "For you…."

The Doctor's eyes widened at that. She was doing that for him? She was risking _her_ life to save _Rose_, _his_ companion, who he figured really didn't care for the Time Lady, for _him_? He felt his hearts constrict a little…

She was willing to sacrifice her life for _him_. He didn't want that. He didn't want to be the cause of her…of her…of her…d…death. It hurt way too much to think about it.

He heard Laila gasp again and he grabbed her hand as she slipped, but still maintained her hold on Rose. He could see the tears streaming down her face from the pain and he could feel tears prick at his own eyes.

Rose watched the scene, the absolute pain in the Doctor's eyes at the thought of losing the Time Lady and she looked up at the illusion before her and she realized something….

She couldn't beat the woman, not now, but maybe someday….

With that thought in her mind she ripped her hands from Laila's, whose eyes widened at the movement. Rose stared at her until she disappeared before her, her last glimpse of the room being the Doctor as he tried to hold onto the Time Lady, who had fallen unconscious in her attempt to rescue her…then everything when white.

S.S

Rose found herself in the parallel Torchwood and she stared at the wall ahead of her, tears staining her shirt and face. She hit the wall with her fist as she started to shake. She couldn't help but feel angry, why? Because of that Time Lady…she tried to save her after everything she did to the woman, a part of despised Laila for that.

"It stopped working," Pete said, "They did it. They closed the breach."

S.S

The Doctor sat on the floor, holding Laila in his arms as he stared at the white expanse before him, tear stains on his own face. He looked down at the Time Lady and brushed a strand of hair out her eyes, letting his hand linger on her cheek for a moment. His mind still couldn't wrap around what happened. He just felt so afraid it was like his hearts were going to burst…

A bluish wisp escaped Laila's lips and she coughed rather violently, her eyes snapping open. She leaned against the Doctor's chest, breathing heavily, "What…?" she looked around the room, the events playing back in her mind. She pushed herself away from him and stared at him, "Rose…"

"She gone," he told her, his eyes downcast, "She's gone…"

She continued to stare at him for a moment before she placed her hand on top his, letting him know she was still here. He looked up at her and shocked her slightly when he pressed his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes, "Don't leave…" he murmured and she nodded silently.

S.S

Rose, Jackie, Pete, and Mickey stood on the deserted beach as Rose walked across the sand as though looking for something.

"_Here I am at last," Rose voiced over, "And this is the story of how I died."_

She came to a halt in the middle of the beach and stood there, waiting. A short ways to her left, the Doctor faded out of thin air. She turned to him, "Where are you?" she asked.

"Inside the TARDIS," he responded, his voice slightly distant.

S.S

The Doctor, in reality, was standing by the TARDIS console facing straight ahead. Laila leaned against a railing out of the way, watching as he said goodbye to Rose, "There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, Laila's keeping it open just a bit longer for us. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection as well, we're in orbit around a supernova," he laughed softly, "I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

S.S

"You look like a ghost," Rose remarked, shaking her head.

"Hold on…" he furrowed his brow and took the sonic out of his pocket, turning towards an area she couldn't see before turning back, looking completely solid as though he were really there.

"Can I t…." she raised a hand to touch his face.

"I'm still just an image," he told her sadly, "No touch."

"Can't you come through properly?" she tried.

"The whole thing would fracture," he shook his head, "Two universes would collapse."

"So?" she smiled a little, half-jokingly, and dropped the smile seeing he was serious about it. She already knew, so he didn't need to tell her, Laila…

The Doctor looked around her surroundings, "Where are we? Where did the gap come out?" he questioned.

"We're in Norway," she told him.

"Norway," he nodded as though he knew, "Right."

"About fifty miles out of Bergen," she continued, "It's called 'Darlig Ulv Stranden'."

"Dalek?" he blinked, surprised.

She chuckled, "Darl-IG," she pronounced, "It's Norwegian for 'bad'," he just looked at her, confused, "This translates as 'Bad Wolf Bay'," they laughed at the irony of it, but quieted almost immediately, "How long we got?" her voice cracked as she asked.

"About three minutes…" he said regretfully.

"I can't think of what to say!" she laughed a little at the absurdity of it all and the Doctor laughed too, then glanced over to where Jackie, Pete, and Mickey were waiting by a jeep.

"You've still got Mr. Mickey, then?" he nodded at the man.

"There's five of us now. Mum, dad, Mickey….and the baby."

The Doctor looked taken-aback, "You're not…?" he looked between her and Mickey, his brow furrowed.

"No," she laughed, "It's mum," the Doctor laughed in relief and looked over at Jackie, "She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way."

"What about you?" he asked, focusing his attention back on her, "Are you….?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm…I'm back working in the shop."

"Oh, good for you."

She laughed again, "Shut up. No, I'm not," she smiled a little, "There's still a Torchwood on this planet, it's open for business," she could feel herself tear up again, "I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

"Rose Tyler," the Doctor said proudly, "Defender of the Earth," he sighed, "You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead," Rose started to cry quietly at that, "Here you are," he smiled, "Living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have."

"Am I ever gonna see you again?" she asked, sobbing earnestly now.

"You can't," he whispered, so, so, sorry.

"What're you gonna do?"

"Oh, I've got the TARDIS and Laila. Same old life, us, Last of the Time Lords."

"Just the two of you?" she just had to ask and he was silent for a moment before he nodded. She swallowed and stared at him, heartbroken, her tears falling down thick and fast, "I lo…." she choked with her own tears before she could finish the sentence and she took a moment to regain her composure, and then….

"I love you," she finally said and looked dead into his eyes as he just stared at her, a small, sad, smile on his face.

"I know…" he said, "I know, and I'm so, so, so…."

She could feel her heartbreaking, "Is it her?" she interrupted, "Tell me, is it Laila?" he closed his mouth, standing there for a moment, "Do you…" she swallowed, "Do you love her? Please….just tell me…"

"Rose, I…."

But it was too late, their time was up. Rose watched as he faded into nothingness, already knowing the words he was about to say. She screwed her face up against the pain in her heart, sobbing into her hands.

S.S

The Doctor stood in the TARDIS, his mouth open with an excuse on his tongue, but in his mind the words he wanted to say were on the tip of his tongue. Behind him, Laila stared at him, a blank look on her face.

"I'm sorry," she spoke and he whipped around to face her and she averted her eyes.

"You don't have to be," he said and watched as she chuckled a little.

"Crazy how she has come to believe that, huh?" she chuckled more, "That…that you could care about me in that way," she stood to her feet and turned her back towards him, "I'll be in my room if you need me, you know for comfort reasons, to talk, or whatever…"

"Laila…" the Doctor called after her, but she continued on until she was on the first step of the stairs, not wanting to hear it…the rejection…or a cofession, "Or…or should I call you Elysia?"

She felt her body freeze at that and she whipped around fast to face him, "What...?" she breathed, stunned beyond belief, "What did you just say?"

"E…Elysia," he repeated, not taking his eyes off of her, "Blissfully beautiful…" he swallowed, his hearts thumping in his chest wildly, "Very true…" he watched as her eyes widened considerably, a small pinkish hue making its way across her face, "How…how would I know that? Your name…it's sacred," he laughed lightly, "There's only one way…"

"Stop it," she shook her head, "That's impossible," she backed up until she met the railing, "You're lying…"

The Doctor walked over to her. He was nervous, excited, and overwhelmed at the same time….but he had to do this, he had to get it off his chest. He couldn't…he couldn't walk around like this and _not_ tell her, "Elysia," she winced and his placed his hands on her face, making her look at him, "Laila," the words were on the tips of his tongue, he only had to get them out, "Rose…she…s-she…" he took a deep breath. He didn't think it would be this hard.

"Don't say it," Laila shook her head, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, "_Please_ don't say it…I…" she closed her eyes, "I can't….you can't…we….we can't…."

He stared at her for a moment, "Why?"

She looked up at him and she let one tear escape her eyes, "B…because," her lower lip trembled as she suppressed her tears, "T…the Healers….wives against husbands, children against children…." she trailed and then pushed herself away from the Doctor, "Can you imagine what that would feel like?" he stared at her, silently, "To see you, someone….someone…." she chuckled, "Theta…." the Doctor's eyes widened and she turned towards him, "To see you, someone…" she let out a breath, wiping her face, "Someone I…someone I've come to…" another breath, "Man, this is hard…." she stared into his eyes for a moment, "Can you imagine that happening to someone you've come to love? Or at least like in that way?"

She wasn't sure if she exactly _loved _him yet, but she did know she liked him in that way at least.

The Doctor stood there for a moment, his hearts skipping a beat at her confession, "No," he shook his head, "But I can imagine how I feel every time someone I…I love…is put into danger," he took a step towards her, "When you were facing the werewolf in Torchwood, the Beast on Kroptor, Chloe Webber, The Cybermen, and the Daleks," he took another step towards her and she eyed him, curiously, "I was afraid, scared…." one more step and he was facing her again, "When I'm away from you I…" he chuckled, "I'm in pieces, honestly," he placed a hand on her cheek, "I love you, Laila."

Laila looked down, her own hearts beating fast just like his, "Why?" she asked, "How? This isn't supposed to happen without us knowing…"

"But yet it did," he said, "Soulbinding is…is tricky," he placed the other hand on her other cheek, making her look up at at him, "But we'll figure it out…together…." he stared into her eyes for a moment, feeling the intensity of the moment, before he leaned into her, kissing her tenderly.

It was like something had clicked into place. He felt a nice sort of warmth envelope him and he closed his eyes for a moment, savoring it. His hearts rate slowed down to a nice thumping beat. He felt her hand on his but she didn't push him away.

Laila stared at the Doctor for a moment as he kissed her. She felt warm and she could tell she was blushing just a bit, or more than a bit. Her stomach felt like it was knots, it was a nice feeling overall. She closed her own eyes after him and placed her hand on his, letting the moment have its way.

After a second the Time Lords parted from each other, their eyes locked, small blushes painting their cheeks, "Well that was…" Laila started.

"Nice," the Doctor agreed, "Very nice, superb, really," he laughed as she pushed him away playfully, "Seriously, I liked it…." he would do it again if given the moment.

She smiled at him, a genuine smile, before she turned her head and she blinked, shocked, "Uh…" she pointed towards the doors and the Doctor followed her gaze and took a step back as he saw was she did, a ginger bride, with her back towards them.

"What?" he stared, aghast.

The bride turned around to see them standing there and yelped in surprise.

"What?!" the Doctor blinked, even more confused.

"How?" Laila tilted her head. It was impossible to enter the TARDIS through teleportation; well it was almost impossible….

"Who are you?" the bride asked disdainfully.

"But…" the Doctor looked around, dumbfounded.

"Where am I?" she continued to questioned.

"What?!"

Laila shook her head, not even sure if she could wrap her mind around this. She'd never seen a human, if she was human, teleport themselves inside a TARDIS. There had to be some other explanation….

"What the hell is this place?" the bride yelled.

"What?!" the Doctor gaped.

S.S

-Screeches- the Doctor and Laila are finally together! OMG! OMG! Okay…. Serious mode…I could've had Laila say she loved the Doctor but given everything she's been through I don't think that would seem realistic. But still, they're together! I've been dying to write this moment for like since the beginning of this story, now it's onto the next moment I'm excited for that will come at the end of the next Season. Are you starting to see a pattern here?

I was debating whether or not to have their first kiss here or in Smith and Jones, but I decided to do it here since the atmosphere calls for it, and it definitely did. You'll see that the kisses symbolize something else besides being an affectionate way of showing love and all that jazz.

And Rose! I felt a little bad writing that scene at the end where the Doctor just tells her he knows she loves him, but he's sorry, because you know, he loves Laila. Man, she's going to be a mess in Season 4…

Now we're gonna get a bit of our fiery red head, Donna, then it is onto our more calm-headed Doctor Martha Jones. Will she still have a crush on the Doctor now that he's with our resident Time Lady? You already know she's not going to hate Laila…so what will she become to her? A friend? A best friend? I believe I've already said that she wouldn't have a lot non-relative family for a couple of reasons, right?

Oh! I bet you all are wondering what the title of the story means, well, let me go ahead and say that it relates to Laila and a prophecy that we'll find out later. I know I said that I would tell you all, but eh…I decided against it just to make it more interesting.

It's time to close up this story people and I have to say it has been fun . Stay tuned for the next installment of The Silent Star Series: Hearts to Heart…I wonder what that means ;) and yes I do mean Hearts to Heart, not Heart to Heart, or Hearts to Hearts. Oh there are so many possibilities….hehehehe….

Well, these are the last three reviews for this story, I will respond to the ones I get for this chapter in the next story.

Veyrona: He might flirt with her, its Shakespeare afterall.

Mionerocks: Well, she kind of did lose it just a little…

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass: Thank you!


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